Call for landlords to improve standards
Tuesday, 23rd March 2010
The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has voiced concern over the lack of investment in the Private Rented Sector (PRS), an area which has grown in recent times due to the number of new homes decreasing and falling short of demand.
The PRS influences the future of housing strategy and ARLA has claimed many rented homes in this country are below habitable standard, roughly equating to 750,000 properties overall.
Landlords are generally responsible for the maintenance and major repairs to a property and ensuring the tenant is safe to reside in the property. The landlord is usually accountable for repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, heating and hot water and sanitary installations.
Ian Potter, Operations Manager at ARLA called on the government to change the law, he said: “Landlords must be afforded the taxation criteria which will incentivise the improvement of stock, and therefore the conditions which tenants live in.”
Potter explained that rental properties are not currently treated as businesses and therefore are not well managed or well maintained. ARLA would like landlords to improve standards and not be quite as short sighted with their portfolios.
In its submission to the Chancellor ahead of this week’s budget, ARLA has pushed for a business-focused approach to the sector and would like restrictions preventing further investment lifted.
Such policy changes could focus on:
- Removal of VAT on the purchase of materials and labour to improve older property
- Introduction of capital allowances for landlords improving older housing stock
- Increase the Landlords Energy Saving Allowance (LESA) to include the installation of central heating systems
- Stamp Duty ‘clawback’ on older properties which need capital investment
- Re-assessment of the “slab” structure of Stamp Duty to create a fairer system
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