All UK’s 1.5 million private landlords to join a compulsory redress scheme
Shock announcement is part of significant widening of redress scheme membership for landlords, student housing providers, new homes developers and park home operators.
All private landlords in the UK are to be forced to join a redress scheme, the government has revealed, scooping up over an estimated 1.5 million landlords into regulation.
The announcement is part of a wide-ranging package of regulatory measures revealed by Secretary of State for Housing James Brokenshire (picture above) following last year’s consultation on the subject.
Brokenshire plans to “bring forward legislation that will require all private landlords, including providers of purpose-built student housing and park home site operators, to belong to a redress scheme,” he says.
“This would ensure that all tenants have access to redress services in any given situation and that all complaints can be addressed.”
FREEHOLDERS TOO
Other measures alongside this include requiring all freeholders to join a redress scheme regardless of whether they use a managing agent or not.
Also, all new homes developers will have to join a scheme too, and the minister also plans to crate a specific new homes ombudsman.
Lastly, Brokenshire is to set up both a one-stop shop for housing complaints regardless of tenure to be called the Housing Complaints Resolution Service, and a single code of practice to cover all the housing sectors.
“Personally, I think this is a really positive step, not only in boosting protection for millions of renters across the country but also for recognising ‘landlording’ as the professional business that it should be,” says Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action (left).
“It will encourage landlords to focus on customer service and building relationships, as well as the quality of their properties, help to professionalise the industry and provide a level playing field for landlords and tenants.”
