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Which? welcomes protection for private tenantsWhich? says the moves are a step forward

13 May 2009

 

Housing

Housing Minister Margaret Beckett has announced plans for increased protections for tenants in private properties. 

The package of measures include a 'light-touch' national register of all private landlords for England and an independent regulator for private letting agents. 

Which? has welcomed the news, with chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith commenting: 'This is great news for the millions of people around the country who rent private accommodation. For too long tenants have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous landlords and letting agents with little or no redress.'

Landlords could be removed from the proposed register for repeatedly not carrying out repairs or protecting tenants' deposits. You can read Which?'s guide to understanding tenancy deposit protection. 

As well as the proposed regulator, the government is also planning to set up a complaints system for tenants and to encourage local authorities to start local lettings agencies for those in the private rental sector in housing need. 

Changing housing law

While these proposals are only being put forward for consultation, the government is also saying it intends to change the law to give tenants a minimum of two months' notice if their landlord's property is repossessed. 

Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: 'You shouldn’t be thrown out of your home at the drop of a hat just because your landlord can’t afford to pay the mortgage. These measures will make that a thing of the past.'

Current protection for tenants

Although tenants' deposits are now protected, there are many pitfalls when renting privately. The Which? book on renting and letting has a wealth of advice for both tenants and landlords, as does our checklist for letting agreements. 

For tenants, our guide to viewing a rental property has lots of tips including the top ten questions to ask. Which? also has advice if you have problems with your landlord. 

For landlords, we have advice on what to do about problems with your tenant and a guide to problems with estate agents. 

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