LETTER: Policy on rents needs more thought

The reason rental properties have increased 25 percent over the last 10 years is twofold

1) people could not afford to buy their own homes and to get on the housing ladder and

2) many people could not sell the houses they inherited from parents because of the state of the housing market and were forced into the rental market

Gloria needs to reconsider her policy!

Landlords need protection from tenants who do not pay the rent! So a 3 year agreement would not be practicable.

A 6 month tenancy or 12 months is correct and gives assurances to the landlord that bad tenants can be removed and also that the tenants can leave if their circumstances change.

Letting fees are also appropriate because credit checks need to make sure new tenants have the capacity to pay the rent and are of good character. These checks are not cheap. An agent has to give as much assurance to the landlord that the new tenants have the capacity to pay.

You cannot put a cap on rent increases .

Increases are required to pay for increased yearly rises for insurance, gas, electricity safety checks, energy certificates, property repairs and of course the tax the Government takes from landlords income

Gloria needs to look at both sides before putting such policies forward

John Dove

Via email

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