The recent suggestion by a Government backed consumer think tank has caused controversy in the letting sector and led many landlords to take a good look at their current landlord insurance policy.
Consumer’s champion
Consumer Focus describes itself as the statutory champion of consumers in the UK and often helps consumers get a fair deal from the energy companies and other utilities. It has strong legislative powers and took it upon itself last week to suggest that the private sector of the housing industry should do more to help tenants, private tenants in particular.
Website for tenants
In fact Consumer Focus asked for a website to be set up where tenants can rate their landlords. This after a survey suggested that only 15% of tenants could find information they needed about their landlord or letting agent. The website would allow tenants to give judgement on their landlords over a variety of issues and they could leave feedback on the website. Consumer Focus believes this would help unsuspecting tenants avoid rogue landlords and also help to higher standards of accommodation throughout the sector.
Landlords not so sure
Landlord organisations do not see it the same way. The website suggestion has brought a barrage of protests from many organisations representing landlords who believe tenants already have the right for redress through the Ombudsman Scheme, Trading Standards, the Association of Residential Letting Agents and the National Property Federation.
They also believe the website will be open to both tenants and indeed rogue landlords to bad mouth landlords unscrupulously. However, 9 in 10 tenants in private accommodation thought the website was a good idea and with social network sites hogging attention nationwide at the moment it is more than likely the idea could be put into practice, just one more reason for landlords to ensure they get a property insurance quote immediately.
Good information has a price
Consumer Focus point out that already many landlords obtain lots of information about tenants and their backgrounds before they even sign a contract with them, which of course is true. No professional landlord should expose himself and his business to unnecessary risks. It is worth saying though that landlords pay for the information and view it has a business cost. The information is gleaned from official sources and therefore should have more than an element of truth about it. An open website is not exactly the same thing and that is what worries landlords the most.