Propertymark, the leading professional body for property professionals, has called for the cessation of local licensing schemes for landlords in England. This demand is being made for when the planned national landlord register becomes operational. The association argues that the current local schemes represent superfluous duplication and incur significant costs for landlords, without tangibly improving the enforcement of standards.
The initiative aims to reduce the regulatory burden on landlords. According to Propertymark, the fragmentation of regulations through a multitude of local systems is inefficient. This inefficiency manifests itself in both administrative effort and financial burdens for property owners.
Criticism of Existing Systems
The association criticises that the existing local licensing schemes do not effectively support regulatory oversight. They are often unable to identify those landlords who do not comply with regulations. Propertymark points out that these systems frequently only register reputable landlords, while problematic cases remain undetected. The resulting costs are borne by landlords, without a proportional benefit being discernible for improving the rental housing market.
The introduction of a national register is seen as an opportunity to unify and optimise the approach to regulating the sector. A centralised system could enable more coherent and transparent oversight, benefiting both landlords and tenants. The association expects that such an innovation would increase the effectiveness of regulation while eliminating the unnecessary burdens created by the current local structures.
Advantages of a National Register
A nationwide register could facilitate the enforcement of standards, as it would provide a comprehensive overview of all landlords and their properties. This would enable authorities to deploy resources more targeted and monitor compliance with legal provisions more efficiently. Propertymark emphasises that the main goal should be to ensure the quality and safety of the housing stock, without creating bureaucratic hurdles that could inhibit the housing market.
- —Elimination of duplicated administrative processes.
- —Reduction of the financial burden for landlords.
- —More efficient identification and sanctioning of landlords who violate regulations.
- —Creation of a uniform data basis for the entire rental housing sector.
