What Does the Election Result Mean for Local Landlords?

The overwhelmingly positive news for landlords is that, unlike Labour, which proposed
changes such as rent controls and a national landlord register, the Conservatives have
made very little noise about introducing new regulation into the private rental sector.
In fact, whatever their personal politics, a majority Tory win means that many private
landlords with properties in the private rental sector will be breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Primarily, the swing to Conservative means that landlords in Camberley and the
surrounding area will avoid a rise in anti-landlord legislation, compulsory long-term
tenancies and increased rent controls.

What can you expect from five years of Conservative government?

A parting shot from the Liberal Democrats was their ‘revenge eviction’ measures, which
have already been incorporated into the Deregulation Bill 2015, and will come into force
on 1 October 2015.

The measures are designed to give tenants greater protection from private landlords who
flout their legal responsibilities and use the threat of eviction to prevent tenants from
airing their concerns about sub-standard and unsafe accommodation. However, this is
unlikely to faze the vast majority of landlords who do their best to offer a high standard of
accommodation to their tenants.

Conservative policy on the private rented sector has been predominantly focused on
voluntary improvements and codes of practice, spurred by a reluctance to add to the 400
regulations and 100 pieces of legislation already in place
.
The Tory’s position is one that supports all house-building, including social, and backs the
private rented sector. However, the introduction of large new developments could present
a challenge for small buy-to-let and student landlords in areas where these schemes are
introduced.

Two new Conservative policies in the pipeline

There are already two new Conservative policies which could impact on landlords later this
year. This first change is an amendment to the Housing Act, which will remove some of the
complications associated with evicting a tenant; however, landlords will still have to take
considerable care to stay within the realms of the law.

The second change, which will make it easier for tenants to sub-let rooms, was poorly
received when it was announced along with this year’s budget. The concern is that tenants
will be able to re-rent rooms and increase the risk of rent-to-rent scams, where a
middleman splits shared living spaces into extra rooms and charges rent on an individual
basis. This puts landlords at risk of breaking the terms and conditions of their mortgage
and landlord insurance policies.

The threat of rogue landlords

One potentially negative consequence of the new government is that less is being done to
prevent landlords acting unlawfully and providing substandard accommodation. Rather
than abiding by the law and providing high quality accommodation like the landlords we
represent, rogue landlords will be able to undercut upstanding landlords who face higher
costs to ensure everything is above board.

However, the landscape for landlords looks overwhelmingly positive. The threat of Labour
policies, like them or not, were not popular with businesses or property owners. Concerns
about the introduction of three-year tenancies and the impact a Labour government might
have had on the British economy are a thing of the past, leaving private landlords to focus
on providing quality housing for their tenants.

At Martin & Co, Camberley , we attract high quality tenants for landlords who care about
the standard of accommodation they provide. We offer one of the widest selections of
well-presented properties and treat all tenants professionally, to make everyone’s
experience of renting a home as smooth as possible.

t: 01276 691510
e: giles.mugford@martinco.com
w: www.martinco.com/lettingsagents/camberley