Labour Conference: New crackdown on rogue landlords announced
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed landlords of rundown homes in the private rented sector could lose their properties unless they bring them up to scratch.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference he pledged to restore Britain's ‘housing stock to what it once was’ – saying this would include ‘acting on the private rented stock too’.
He told the conference in Liverpool that landlords of the worst quality homes in the private rented sector would be given warnings to make improvements.
He said that, should they then fail to take action, the Government will ease the way for councils to acquire them, warning ‘we will legislate if necessary’.
The promise came as part of a wider pledge to give local authorities additional powers to ‘take control’ of empty homes of all tenures, criticising ‘absent landlords’ for picking up rent via the benefits system but refusing to invest in their homes.
He also used the speech to reiterate his commitment to ending rough sleeping and spearheading the biggest council house building programme since the post-war era.
He also referenced the recently announced ‘Your First Home’ policy, which aims to make it more affordable for first time buyers to purchase a property.
Leasehold reform
Elsewhere in his speech he confirmed the Government will introduce a bill before Christmas for ‘long overdue leasehold reform’, telling leaseholders that ‘the days of you being squeezed for every penny are coming to an end’.
More information
- We are now seeking clarification from the Government on the detail of its plans.
- Our chief policy officer Chris Norris is at the Labour conference this week. Keep an eye on our news site and social media channels for more.
Photo credit: @House of Commons
