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5/12/25 4:43 pm
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The Renters’ Rights Act will not prevent rogue and criminal landlords from renting out homes under the radar, the shadow housing secretary James Cleverly has said.
Speaking at an industry conference on Friday Cleverly, who at one point last year was tipped to be the next Conservative Party leader, said that instead of driving out ‘bad actors’ from the sector it will drive out good ones.
Warming to the subject during an onstage interview at The Negotiator Conference & Expo with BBC journalist Maryam Moshiri, Cleverly said unequivocally that ‘the bad landlords within the sector will continue to be bad landlords’.
“Vilifying the providers of private housing will not help the people that Labour are trying to help,” he added.
Many people within the private rented sector would agree with Cleverly, albeit for different reasons.
While many good landlords are to face a raft of new rules and responsibilities from May 1st next year,– including a new national database in England which they must join - and much larger fines for non-compliance, most councils in England do not have the resources or money to track down bad landlords and then fine or prosecute them.
The Chartered Institute of Environment Health made this point on Friday when four of its members gave evidence to MPs, urging the Government to better fund enforcement.
But not all are in agreement with Cleverly including the NRLA and leading national lettings agency Andrews, both of which have recently said the Renters’ Rights Act will prevent bad landlords operating within the sector.
Main pic credit: The Negotiator
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