Big council says landlords selling up are ‘causing homelessness’
In a highly unusual move, Ashford Borough Council is calling for more to be done to encourage responsible landlords to remain in the rental market.
Ashford Borough Council’s lettings agency boss Victoria Henham says there is a clear link between landlords leaving the PRS and the growth in homelessness.
She points to Government data, which shows that the number of households in the private rented sector which qualified for council support to prevent homelessness after their landlord decided to sell the property has risen by a third in just six months.
The Council’s own data shows around 50% of people approaching it for housing advice during 2024 did so as a result of landlords selling up.
Responsible landlords need encouragement
Henham, who runs the Council’s ABC Lettings agency, adds that selling a property is also the single biggest reason for a landlord to end a tenancy and was almost three times higher than the next most common reason.
She argues more needs to be done to encourage responsible buy-to-let investors to keep their rental properties.
With 21 applicants chasing every rental property, she says: “In the 20 years I have been involved in the industry, this is the toughest time for people to access housing in the private rental market.
Landlords need help now more than ever before.”
“Tenants need greater choice and that means supporting responsible landlords to stay and continue to provide decent quality housing. I know most landlords want to do their bit to help with the current homelessness crisis, in Ashford and elsewhere.
“Landlords need help now more than ever before.”
ABC Lettings was set up by Ashford Borough Council in 2012 to work with private sector landlords to help tackle homelessness across the borough, offering them a traditional management service with guaranteed rents.
In Wales, The Welsh Government is politically opposed to the very principle of “The Private Landlord”
All recent legislation has been designed to make life difficult for private landlords, (although of course they never publicly admit it)
Five years ago, I wrote to my local Labour Assembly Member, placing on record my opinion that all the huge new anti landlord bureaucracy would simply drive landlords out of the market, leaving fewer properties for tenants and significant rent increases as Tenants were forced to compete for fewer properties.
I put my views ON RECORD in order that my Member could not say that she was unaware of the consequences of her Government’s actions.
I pointed out that Landlords like me, had no duty to provide housing for tenants. That is a job for the “Social Landlord”
As a self employed, now retired Chartered Surveyor, I had no gold plated state pension that our politicians enjoy. I had to build up a pension pot for my retirement.
Accordingly seeing that The Welsh Government had a policy of ratcheting up anti private landlord legislation, I simply decided to exit the letting market and sold up. I now have only two left who are excellent long term tenants who I have no wish to disturb, but if either or both vacates, the properties will be sold.
Many of my former clients have taken similar action.
So what has happened in these past 5 years?
1. Huge shortages of private rentals
2. Rents have rocketed well above inflation and wages
3. The choice of properties that was available to tenants pre the anti landlord legislation has gone
4. Tenants competing for the few properties available are forced to pay higher rents and in many cases for unsuitable properties.
To summarise, what has been the effect of all these draconian changes?
I as a Landlord looking for a return on my capital have had the inconvenience of selling up and reinvesting in other forms of investment, so no significant effect
The Tenant has however suffered most. The very people supposed to benefit from all this are (AS WARNED AT THE OUTSET) those who are bearing the brunt of this ill thought out legislation, based more on political dogma than the real world.
Will there be a change of direction?
No chance, the politicians will never accept they are wrong and tenants will continue to find it increasingly difficult to find homes
Wow, some one from a council admitting to seeing the elephant in the room. Just, maybe this will be the start of some common sense and the government at last understanding that private landlords are not a public service.
A B C, it’s easy as 1 2 3,
As simple as do re mi,
Unless you’re an MP,
Cos they’re not you an’ me.