According to the BBC, Mr Miliband has apologised for the way the last Labour government failed to help ordinary people in Britain. He says his party has already learned from its mistakes, although that comment is probably open to debate, and he has also pledged to help tenants in the private sector with a number of new Labour housing policies Labour in the pipeline.
Dealing with rogue landlords
Speaking to the Fabian Party a few days ago, Mr Miliband promised to deal with the increasing problem of rogue landlords and rip-off letting agents. He said the Labour party was committed to tackling the many issues surrounding housing and one of his proposals was the creation of a national register of landlords.
“We will root out rogue landlords, we will stop people from being ripped off by letting agents and we want to give new security to families who rent”
Concern expressed by the RLA
However, although the RLA has welcomed Labour plans to regulate letting agents, it has already expressed concern about the potential costs involved in implementing a nationwide landlord register. They believe that such a measure will only put further pressure on a housing sector that is already under a great deal of stress.
“The RLA is calling on all parties to support local authorities to improve the skills available to environmental health officers to more swiftly bring prosecutions against the minority of criminal landlords who bring misery to tenants lives. Accreditation schemes would enable councils to better target those who operate under the radar.”
