Building on that work, this companion report enhances those insights by providing additional views from the perspective of landlords.
What measures concern landlords the most?
As it stands, the Bill necessitates a range of changes which will fundamentally alter how the sector operates. Change on this scale can cause uncertainty and this can lead to worry and resistance. Landlords were most concerned by the potential removal of Section 21 notices and the end of fixed-term tenancies.
Do landlords fully understand the Bill?
Landlords were asked to what extent they were confident in their understanding of the proposed changes associated with the Bill. Around 1 in 5 landlords (18%) agreed that they understood the Bill and approximately the same proportion disagreed (20%). The vast majority (61%) neither agreed nor disagreed.
This suggests that 81% of landlords were not confident that they understood the Bill or at the very least, were not entirely confident.
This is alarming but not unexpected given that 77% of landlords hadn’t read or had only partially read the guidance. This raises questions regarding the robustness of the Bill’s communication and consultation process and the extent to which landlords proactively engage with legislation. Regardless, it does not bode well for future implementation and compliance.
If the Bill is implemented, landlords whose properties are managed by Propertymark member agents will receive professional support to assist with implementation and compliance. However, it remains to be seen if the UK Government plan to provide further guidance and whether it will be sufficient to support self-managing landlords.
