The National Residential Landlords' Association (NRLA)
is urging the government to introduce a new tenant and landlord dispute
conciliation service.
They say this should be publicly funded and would work on similar lines to
ACAS, the employment dispute body.
The call comes as part of the association's response to the Government's
Renters' Reform Bill.
And with the Government set on abolishing section 21 'no-fault' evictions,
the NRLA says it's time to implement fundamental reforms that help
landlords and tenants in repossession cases.
The NRLA's chief executive Ben Beadle said: "The government needs to enjoy
the confidence of tenants and landlords as it prepares this important Bill.
'Fundamental reform of repossession'
"Our proposals for a fundamental reform of repossession will strike the
balance between the needs of both."
He added that the overriding aim of their plan is to help sustain tenancies
whenever possible or bring them to an end in a collaborative way.
The move will see landlords and tenants using a conciliation service
whenever a possession noticed is challenged.
This will help with the costs and stress associated with going to court for
tenants and landlords.
The NRLA says that the proposal will see a landlord being banned from
repossessing a property for up to six months if they fail to abide by the
agreement's terms.
However, should a renter fail to abide by the same terms, then their case
would be fast-tracked through the court.
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon
Thompson, said: "Any changes to the way landlords can repossess a home
should be considered carefully and the impact on landlords and their
business. The idea of conciliation is worth exploring to bring a resolution
over possession cases without using the courts."
Growing numbers of overseas landlords admit tax avoidance
Meanwhile, one accountancy firm says growing numbers of overseas landlords
are admitting to tax avoidance.
According to the survey by Moore, the number has risen by
65% over the past five years.
They say that 390 buy to let landlords based overseas have admitted to HMRC
that they have not paid the right amount of tax in the last year. In
2015/16, that figure was 237 landlords.
'Overseas landlords running scared'
A spokeswoman for the accountancy firm, said: "HMRC's ability to carry out
cross-border investigations easily and quickly has overseas landlords
running scared and prompted many of them to come forward."
She added that many overseas landlords had fallen behind with tax payments
and are looking to avoid a costly and lengthy investigation.
The accountants say that many of the landlords responding to HMRC's 'Let
Property Campaign' are UK expats, rather than being a wealthy overseas
investor.
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