The national ‘blacklist’ of rogue letting agents and landlords launched last April is to be opened up for inspection by tenants.
Until now, the controversial blacklist – which allegedly has no names on it – has been available only to local and central government.
However a spokesperson for the Prime Minister told the Guardian: “Only offences committed from April this year can be included, and it can take several months to secure convictions.
“We are clear that we expect to see entries in the database from the New Year.
“We also intend to make information in the database available to prospective and existing tenants.”
No announcement has been made by the Ministry of Housing, and the Guardian was silent as to whether landlords – who might want to check out an agent – or agents – who might want to check out either a landlord or prospective employee – might also have access to the blacklist.
However ARLA chief executive David Cox expressed delight.
He said: “Yesterday’s announcement that the database for rogue landlords and letting agents is going to be made available to tenants is a triumph for the industry.
“Keeping it hidden was a prime example of when the Government didn’t think about the unintended consequences of the policy, which is why we have branded it ‘truly ridiculous’ up until now.
“We’re pleased they have finally listened to what the industry has been saying since it was put into the Housing and Planning Bill nearly three years ago.
“We hope the database will now fulfil the objective of professionalising the sector, which we all wanted it to.”
- Separately, ARLA yesterday reported on rent prices, saying that 31% of tenants had their rents increased in September, and that as landlords leave the market, rental stock under management is down to 194 per branch. ARLA said that an average of four landlords per branch took their properties off the rental market in September.
Comments (7)
Government don’t want a rogue tenant listing, not in their interest with nothing to gain, no fines or regulation imposed on tenants!
Tenants will get everything for free even some poor landlords house if the landlord cant prove they supplied them with a bucket load of paperwork.
I had an interesting conversation with a local authority housing officer who told me that it is his job to find every loophole he can with any tenancy so the tenant can scam the landlord and stay rent free in the property, it is common knowledge that councils tell tenants they don’t have to leave the property if they receive a section 21, saying that if they do then they are making themselves homeless and the council can’t help them then, but if the landlord takes them to court to evict them then the council will reward the tenants and put them on the top of the housing list.
The reason there are rogues landlords is because the council don’t do anything about them, because rogue landlords are providing homes for all the tenants that the council can’t.
Regulate Landlords is the only way forward, it certainly sorted out the mortgage industry when every individual mortgage broker had to be qualified and regulated.
If councils continue to keep telling tenants not to move out until they have been evicted via the courts then their won’t be many legitimate landlords left in the market to house those tenants that the councils can’t/won’t. Personally I find it scandalous that they advise people to do that, incurring potentially thousands of pounds in additional losses for landlords. The regulators need to take a long hard look at the way councils operate rather than continually hammering landlords in the PRS.
It should have included Tenants and been open to everyone from the start. Each ‘review’ must be verified by an independent third party however, either by providing Tenancy Agreement or Landlord contract to make sure that there aren’t false ‘listings’ being created to get rid of competition or blacken someone’s name.
Given the ever increasing desire by the Govt. and lobbyists, to create ill-will between agents/Landlords and the general public…I suspect it won’t be long before Tenants themselves will be given the ”opportunity” to add to this list, in one form or another (completely unchecked/unverified of course, but why let reasonable fairness get in the way of a good bit of sh*t slinging [it hasn’t stopped Shelter/Gen. Rent./TPO/TDS/DPS etc. habitually finding in favour of poorly conceived and illegitimate complaints])…
I wouldn’t hold your breath as far as a ”Rogue Tenant Database” is concerned, as the pool voters who rent, is significantly larger than the pool of voters who operate within the sector, in addition to the simple fact that it is in the interests of large institutional investors to bring the PRS under corporate-style control …The Govt./Lobbyists would see no merit in creating such a database and therefore, I suspect none will be created.
…”no agents (or very few!)…no small-holder Landlords…No problem!”
Totally agree..a rogue tenant database would be good where a landlord or agent have sought and been given a CCJ on damage and or rent arrears above two months rent
In the interests of fairness could we have a national list of rogue tenants as well please. The trouble we are having with one who was charged for cleaning and gardening at the end of his tenancy is unbelievable!
Pity arla have no interest in helping landlords to get a rogue tenant database