Tories - you have been warned, says lettings trade group

One of the industry’s leading trade groups has repeated a warning to the Conservatives that they cannot rely on the votes of landlords.

Richard Lambert, chief executive of the National Landlords Association, says that while many in the wider public may welcome the December 12 General Election after years of political instability, landlords are not rejoicing.

“All the major political parties in the running have supported the abolition of Section 21, essentially making landlords political orphans” he says. 

“In fact, in a survey conducted with our members in July just one in six said they would be voting Conservative in the next general election. Compare that with the 69 per cent who voted Conservative in 2017” he added.

Lambert says that while the election is about Brexit, domestic issues such as housing appear to have fallen off the agenda.

“We implore all parties to use their manifestoes to show a better understanding of and support for the two million landlords in the UK, without whom this country would be in an even worse housing crisis” he concludes.

Back in May the NLA revealed that buy to let investors - once considered ‘safe’ Tory voters - had only 15.75 per cent of private landlords backing the party. 

The polling was conducted shortly after the Conservative government - then led by Theresa May - announced its intention to abolish the no fault Section 21 possession process and end fixed-term tenancies.

Some 85 per cent of landlords told the NLA that they would be likely to vote against any party proposing to remove Section 21; and 89 per cent would vote against any party proposing rent control.