The Communities and Local Government committee of MPs will on Monday hear their first oral evidence of the year for the Draft Tenant Fees Bill - the legislation which will eventually ban agents’ fees levied on tenants in England.
Those giving evidence on Monday include Kate Webb, head of policy at campaigning charity Shelter; the celebrated housing academic Dr Julie Rugg, who is senior research fellow at the Centre for Housing Policy based at the University of York; and Professor Ian Loveland of The City Law School at the University of London.
The CLG committee’s role is to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the government's proposals to ban letting fees.
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Mmm! "It will hear evidence at future sessions, with contributions expected from experts, tenants, agent and landlord associations, and trading standards authorities."
So, considering the entire industry they are discussing is to be excluded, what exactly is the purpose of this meeting?
Sorry guys this is not about logic but about policy and vote winning. A policy is to minimise small PRS landlords and to replace this sector with something similar to the old council house system, with purpose built rental property being built in new housing developments, purchased ideally by the district council but otherwise by bigger businesses and large scale portfolio holders. That at least is what the previous housing minister Gavin Barwell told me. Voters in general would prefer to see (the perception of) fat cat landlords bashed rather than supported . We all know that a well run PRS provides an excellent, much needed service ..... but our knowledge seems to cut little ice. My impression though is Sajid Javid is a more appropriate housing minister than his predecessor, more in touch.
Pointless exercise.. like the agent and landlord associations arguments will have any bearing on the outcome.. no matter how valid they may be.
And as for the tenants needing greater clarity on what they pay.. what about the legislation ensuring all agents display the fees ? Tenants know exactly what they pay beforehand and in the tenancy, I doubt any agent out there will be charging any fees either not on display or in the contract. But suppose it sounds good !!
more tenants than Landlords, more Voters nothing more.
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