here<\/a>, but we\u2019re raising the subject again because it looks likely that the proposed legislative changes we mentioned in that post will be put in place.\u00a0 To sum up, tenants will be given the right to take landlords to court if their property isn\u2019t up to scratch.<\/p>\nNow while I agree, wholeheartedly, that properties should be of a high standard and most definitely fit for human habitation, I don\u2019t see the point of another law on the statute books. There are already provisions in place whereby landlords can be fined up to \u00a330,000, and from this April, local authorities will have the power to ban the worst offenders from being landlords. We also have the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and if the existing provisions are used, then tenants should be protected.<\/p>\n
Yes, the new laws will give tenants more rights but in practical terms, as individuals, the most vulnerable tenants will be unlikely to take their case to the courts. They\u2019ll face expense and, of course, an irrevocable souring of any relationship with their landlord. The intervention of the local authorities in cases of genuine problems provides both the extra distance and weight these cases need.<\/p>\n
This legislative move is an exercise in crowd-pleasing. It sounds good, and with one in every five houses rented (a figure predicted to rise to one in four within five years) it should be a vote winner, but that doesn\u2019t make it a necessity.<\/p>\n
Landlords in Britain have faced an increasing regulatory burden over recent years, and most have complied willingly. Landlords aren\u2019t vindictive creatures from an alien culture. They are people like you and me, doing their best to make a living by providing good quality, affordable homes. But the media has a fondness for portraying landlords as villains and tenants as victims. We all know that that\u2019s too simple<\/p>\n
I believe that in high places, people are forgetting that there is more than one side to a story. Some tenants are a nightmare. Some set out to defraud with false references and no intention of meeting their rental obligations. Others neglect, damage or destroy property.\u00a0 Some leave houses that were pristine when they started their tenancies, unfit for human habitation. Under the proposed new laws, the worst tenants could even take unfounded, malicious claims to court. The way I see it, any new legislation should give rights to landlords too.<\/p>\n
In all this debate, there is an aspect that rarely gets a mention. Seemingly untouched by any statutory process \u2013 and just as likely to be missed by this latest proposal \u2013 there are deliberate rogue landlords renting to those tenants most landlords are unwilling to take on. Perhaps instead of unnecessary legislation, our lawmakers could think of a way to regulate that part of the sector?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t believe we need another law. I think our Government should focus on fixing the parts of property rental that are broken, not those that aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last September, we posted a blog about housing standards becoming a political issue. You can read it here, but we\u2019re raising the subject again because it looks likely that the proposed legislative changes we mentioned in that post will be put in place.\u00a0 To sum up, tenants will be given the right to take landlords […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Sim Sekhon, MD, LegalforLandlords: \u201cLawmakers need to shift their focus.\u201d - Legal For Landlords<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/lawmakers-need-shift-focus-says-legalforlandlords-md-sim-sekhon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sim Sekhon, MD, LegalforLandlords: \u201cLawmakers need to shift their focus.\u201d - Legal For Landlords\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last September, we posted a blog about housing standards becoming a political issue. 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<\/p>\n