The General Election campaigns are beginning to gather pace, ahead of the big vote on the 8th June.
Labour has now moved to pledge a ‘consumer rights revolution’ that will introduce legal minimum standards for all rental homes.
Proposals
These proposals, which will be introduced should Labour win the election, include a raft of new standards that would see electrical safety, sanitation and cooking facilities. This is to ensure that homes are, ‘fit for human habitation’ according to shadow housing secretary John Healey.
Landlords who fail to meet this tougher standards could face fines of up to £100,000.
Healey feels that these new measures will allow tenants to, ‘call time on bad landlords.’
In response, the Conservatives said that these standards added up to a tenants tax, that will only serve to push up rents. This has been met with scorn from Labour, given the fact that the Tories have introduced increased Stamp Duty surcharges and phased out mortgage interest tax relief.
Labour propose minimum standards for sector
Renter’s Rights
Mr Healey commented: ‘Our homes are at the centre of our lives, but at the moment renters too often don’t have basic consumer rights that we take for granted in other areas. In practice, you have fewer rights renting a family home than you do buying a fridge-freezer. As a result, too many are forced to put up with unacceptable, unfit and downright dangerous housing.’[1]
‘Most landlords provide decent homes that tenants are happy with, but these rogue landlords are ripping off both renters and the taxpayer by making billions from rent and housing benefit letting out sub-standard homes. After seven years of failure the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing crisis,’ he added.[1]
[1] https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2017/5/labour-unveil-plans-to-call-time-on-bad-landlords