A new online platform that aims to make it easier to hold rogue landlords to account was launched in parliament yesterday.
The ‘My Housing Issue’ Gateway, designed by the TDS Charitable Foundation, will ensure tenants know where to take complaints related to rented housing.
Research by the Foundation has found that 50% – of private renters do not know where to go for help if their letting agent or landlord fails to address a problem they have. Almost half (48%) said they want clearer information on how to make a complaint when needed. Some 69% said they would make use of a dedicated website to help them resolve their housing problems.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill creating new enforcement tools and standards in the private rented sector, this will add to the array of already complex enforcement mechanisms currently available which tenants are already struggling to navigate.
The Gateway aims to help tenants identify the correct route to seek to resolve their problems, encourage the early resolution of disputes where possible, and provide relevant information about housing rights and options in an interactive and user-friendly format. It has been designed following extensive consultation with government officials, and groups representing tenants, landlords, letting agents and the legal advice sector.
It will complement plans for a new database of private rented properties which will be a central part of the Government’s reforms to the rental market.
The TDS Charitable Foundation is now calling on the government to include the Gateway in the ‘How to Rent’ guide which is legally required to be given to every tenant.
Dr Jennifer Harris, head of policy and research at TDS Group, said: “Tenants are hungry for better, easy to access information to enforce their rights and hold criminal landlords to account. The Gateway will do just that, ensuring renters know where to go for the help they need, when they need it.
“Empowering tenants like this will be vital if the Government’s ambitions of a better private rented sector are to become a reality.”
Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive at Generation Rent, commented: “One of the biggest barriers to improving private rented homes is the sheer number of bodies that play a role in enforcing tenant protections, and the confusion this creates among renters themselves. As the government implements the reforms currently going through Parliament it is essential that private renters can access free, clear and useful resources and information. This new Gateway offers tenants an easy-to-use tool, tailored to their needs – empowering them to make their next moves informed and with confidence.”
Chris Norris, campaigns and policy director for the National Residential Landlords Association, noted: “Any good landlord will tell you that communication is the key to sustaining a successful tenancy. Yet it’s too often the case that minor problems in rental properties can be allowed to worsen dramatically due to a communication breakdown between landlords and tenants.
“Tenants should have the confidence and the tools to be able to resolve issues in their rented accommodation, and we endorse the TDS Charitable Foundation’s move to make it easier for tenants to log problems in their rental property with their landlords.
“This new Gateway should act as a useful way for both groups to identify appropriate solutions in a faster, more effective way – before molehills start to become mountains.”
Andrea Fraser, civil lawyer for justice, added: “At the heart of every housing dispute is a home – so it is crucial that when problems arise, they are nipped in the bud early and that safe, fair tenant-landlord relationships are created and maintained. Yet currently, tenants face a daunting legal maze when trying to enforce their rights. JUSTICE has long recommended a ‘one stop shop’ for housing redress, and the launch of the My Housing Issue Gateway is a huge step forward in making redress more accessible. We are very pleased to support its launch.”
