The Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), Alan Ward, has written to the Director of News and Current Affairs at ITV in response to a programme aired on the 5th March titled “Britain’s Housing Crisis”. Mr Ward claims the show was a biased representation of conditions within the Private Rented Sector (PRS).
Mr Ward was particularly concerned that no landlord body was represented on the programme. “Had they done so” Alan commented, “ITV would have been able to note to viewers that there are over 100 Acts of Parliaments containing around 400 regulations affecting the private rented market”.
The show perpetuates a negative stereotype of landlords that the RLA feels is unjustified. It is the actions of the criminal few that impact on the reputation of the vast majority of landlords who comply with the law and provide a quality service to their tenants.
Mr Ward’s letter reiterates that enforcement is lacking within the sector and this allows the minority of criminal landlords to continue to operate under the radar whilst compliant landlords and tenants pay the cost.
The letter is available to read in full on the RLA website.