Landlords will become more “hard-nosed” when they vet tenants once the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, the Government has been warned.

Ben Beadle, CEO at the NRLA (main picture), said that by abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions in the Act ministers are forcing landlords to be more selective about which renters they take on.

It will become much harder for tenants without a proven track record of paying rent and good behaviour to secure a PRS home, he said.

If you [tenants] have bad debts and can’t prove your income, then it is an easy decision to make.”

“If you [tenants] have bad debts and can’t prove your income, then it is an easy decision to make,” he told The Negotiator Conference.

He also said there had been “somewhere between diddly squat and bugger all” guidance for landlords on how the Act will work in practice.

Completely broken

Paul Shamplina, MD at Landlord Action, a co-panellist at the conference, told delegates that good landlords will leave the sector.

“If a landlord ever needed help for an agent, that time is now,” he added. The courts are “completely broken”, he said, as many fear they will become overwhelmed by new cases once the Act takes effect in May next year.

Oblivious

Fellow panel member Dan Radford, Solicitor with Legal for Lettings, said there were some landlords and letting agents who were oblivious to the Act.

“They will find out the hard way,” he warned. “The best advice is to seek advice.”

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