Press Release: CONSERVATIVE MINISTER ABANDONS THANET RESIDENTS

16/06/2010

CONSERVATIVE MINISTER ABANDONS THANET RESIDENTS

Conservative Housing Minister Grant Shapps has this week explained that he has abandoned Labour plans to introduce new regulations for private rented sector landlords.  The move to cancel a National Register of Landlords, regulation of letting and managing agents, and compulsory written tenancy agreements is bad news for seaside towns and is seen as 'blank cheque' support for rogue landlords across Thanet by local Labour councillors.

Cllr Iris Johnston - Labour Shadow Member for Housing said "much of my time as Shadow Member for Housing in Thanet is spent in helping tenants who suffer through indifferent and often absentee landlords. The Labour Government ensured Thanet District Council had many of the legal ‘tools’ and funding to  force improvements to privately owned properties. In Margate Central and Cliftonville West considerable progress had been made to owner occupied properties as well as those to let through Margate Renewal projects. With the Conservatives complete lack of interest in social housing and the cutting of funds to the Home and Communities budget  the most vulnerable will be  hardest hit and it is my fear  any progress on improving the area will be soon lost"

Labour Group Leader Cllr Cllive Hart said "Ward councillors, particularly those in Margate, Ramsgate and Cliftonville, have been supporting council officers attempts to deal with the shocking disregard that too many landlords have for decent standards here in Thanet and some progress has been made. However, this stance by the new Conservative Minister will slowly undo all our good work.  Decent landlords had nothing to fear from proper regulation but it's now become obvious that the new Conservative government puts the support for rogue landlords above that of local residents and tenants".

Published by Thanet Labour Group, 44 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 3DP. 

Notes to editors:

During Communities and Local Government questions on 10th June Housing Minister Grant Shapps explained that the Government has no plans to introduce new regulations on the private rented sector.
New regulations were proposed by the previous administration in response to the Rugg Review of the Private Rented Sector. These included a National Register of Landlords, regulation of letting and managing agents, and compulsory written tenancy agreements.