With the coronavirus pandemic affecting the country, it has been revealed
that private landlords have been offering their tenants more help than
social landlords have done.
That's one of the findings from the English Housing Survey
which has been published.
The survey reveals that 6% of private tenants since the pandemic started
and had managed to secure a reduction in their rent.
That compares with just 2% of tenants in the social sector.
Also, 5% of private tenants had agreed with their landlord to a rent
holiday.
Of social sector tenants, just 3% had managed to do so.
Agreement with their landlord
The survey also reveals that 12% of tenants have reached another type of
agreement with landlords, compared with 9% of social renters.
The National Residential Landlords' Association (NRLA)
says the figures reflect the help that landlords are giving to tenants.
But, they say, landlords are now reaching the limits of the help they can
provide to a tenant.
The NRLA's chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: "The figures prove that most
private landlords have done everything to support tenants who have been
affected by the pandemic.”
Private landlords are offering greater support
The survey also reveals that private landlords are offering greater support
than social landlords do with 7% of tenants in the private sector being in
arrears, compared with 13% in the social sector.
Mr Beadle said: "The landlord’s ability for providing help further, has run
out and the government needs a plan to get Covid arrears paid off and to
sustain tenancies."
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon
Thompson, said: "The figures from the English Housing Survey illustrate how
much work landlords have done to help tenants during the pandemic, but they
now need financial assistance from the government to help their tenants get
out of arrears."
Scale of tax-evading landlords revealed
Meanwhile, one accountancy firm says that tax-evading landlords and
property investors underpaid their tax by £4,480 last year.
The findings from UHY Hacker Young say this average payment is now 72%
higher than it was last year when the figure was £2,610.
The firm says that the long-running 'Let Property' campaign from HMRC is
encouraging some tax-evading landlords to contact HMRC.
A partner with the firm, Clive Gawthorpe, said: "When a landlord is hiding
income and gets a letter from HMRC, they will realise that they can no
longer hide and that HMRC is closing in on them."
He said that landlords should not wait for HMRC to 'come calling' because
the taxman will show some degree of leniency for those landlords who do
come forward to declare their unpaid taxes.
Last year, HMRC claimed £44.7 million in unpaid tax from landlords, that is
up from the previous year's figure of £32.8 million.
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