Reading the news on Property118 about tenants getting a new platform to make complaints made my heart sink.
The PRS is undergoing a seismic shift, and landlords are increasingly being cast as the villains in a narrative that seems to ignore our rights and struggles.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill steaming ahead with its landlords’ register and ombudsman and lots of onerous demands, I’m feeling that the scales are tipping heavily against those who provide rental homes.
Am I the only one asking: where’s the fairness? Where are our rights? And why are tenants’ obligations being side-lined in this rush to ‘protect’ them?
A win for accountability
The offering from TDS and supported by the NRLA – naturally – is hailed as a tool to ‘hold criminal landlords to account’.
On paper, it sounds like a win for accountability but it’s clear this could become yet another burden for landlords.
Let’s be honest: no one can defend landlords who shirk their responsibilities – those who leave tenants in damp, unsafe homes deserve scrutiny.
But this free platform, risks swamping the system with baseless grievances.
Just like the planned tribunal system for tenants to object to rent rises, this tool will be used to make life difficult. It won’t be about genuine concerns or worries. I can almost guarantee it.
If you don’t believe me, where’s the comeback for a tenant making a frivolous complaint? There won’t be one.
Instead, landlords will be left exposed, with no equivalent portal to report tenant misbehaviour like rent arrears or property damage.
Though we’ll have to spend time dealing with nonsense and malicious ‘complaints’ that just cause distress.
The phrase ‘criminal landlords’
I’m also getting ticked off about the rhetoric using the phrase ‘criminal landlords’ and ‘rogue landlords’ which are being thrown around casually.
Labour ministers are the worst for it and then, almost as an afterthought, add that ‘not all landlords are bad’.
If I’m a law-abiding landlord, maintaining my properties and treating tenants fairly, why am I being tarred with the same brush as the criminal few?
Imagine if we labelled ‘criminal tenants’ with such abandon – that’s those tenants who trash properties or don’t pay rent.
I’m certain those words would be branded as hate speech but ‘criminal landlords’? This slips by unchallenged, feeding a narrative of discrimination against all of us.
A rogue tenant’s portal
Criminals are criminals, as defined by their actions, like burglary or anti-social behaviour (ASB) and proven in court.
Shoplifting is a crime; so why isn’t tenant theft – like stealing fixtures or leaving with unpaid bills – treated with equal weight?
Where do landlords report this? Is there a rogue tenant’s portal?
I think we have addressed tenant rights ad nauseam, what with discussions about repairs, security and fairness.
But what about tenant obligations? Renting is a two-way street.
Tenants must pay rent on time, respect the property and report issues promptly.
Yet the Renters’ Rights Bill and this new platform seem to gloss over this.
Is it time for fairness and for the TDS if they have the GDPR permissions or the Government to create an online portal to hold tenants accountable?
If not, why not?
Amplifying tenant power
Evicting a destructive tenant is a slog. It’s costly, slow and uncertain, while tenants can lodge complaints with ease.
A fair system would let landlords address repairs (when damage isn’t tenant-inflicted) and swiftly remove those who treat properties like punching bags.
Instead, we’re stuck with the prospect of a one-sided ombudsman which will potentially risk amplifying tenant power without balancing it with accountability.
Landlords have rights too — or at least we should.
The right to protect our investments from damage.
The right to evict tenants who don’t pay or turn our homes into battlegrounds.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, with its push to end no-fault evictions and introduce an ombudsman, feels like an attack on those rights.
Victimisation of landlords
But here’s the kicker: this victimisation of landlords doesn’t just hurt landlords – it rebounds on tenants.
Higher costs from complaints, legal battles or unaddressed damage mean higher rents.
Fewer landlords willing to stay in the game mean fewer homes to rent.
The Renters’ Rights Bill might sound noble, but its blind spots – like ignoring rogue tenants or piling on red tape – could shrink the rental market, leaving tenants worse off.
I’m only asking for fairness – we aren’t the enemy. We house families in safe and secure homes.
A platform for tenants to vent is fine, but where’s ours?
If the term ‘criminal landlords’ is fair game, let’s talk about ‘criminal tenants’ who steal, damage or disrupt.
Let’s build a rogue tenant’s portal alongside the ombudsman, so landlords can flag rent arrears or ASB.
Let’s enforce tenant obligations with the same zeal as tenant rights.
And let’s ditch the lazy labels that paint every landlord as a villain.
I won’t be holding my breath.
Until next time,
The Landlord Crusader
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