A Conservative council cabinet member in Northumberland has claimed the Government's Renters' Rights Act is 'forcing' landlords to sell off properties and putting strain on the rural renting market.
Landlords selling to avoid 'burdensome' obligations
The act, which came into force in May, ended no-fault evictions and put a cap on rent increases along with other protections for tenants. But Coun Gordon Stewart, Northumberland County Council's cabinet member for public safety, said landlords were selling off stock to avoid 'burdensome' new obligations.
He said this was a particular concern in rural areas where the pool of housing is naturally smaller. Recent months have seen major estates in villages such as Rock, Blenkinsopp and Blanchland announce plans to sell up, leaving tenants facing eviction.
'Real families' forced out
Coun Stewart said: "What we are seeing across Northumberland is the harsh, real-world reality of top-down legislation pushed through by this Labour Government. Ill-thought-out legal changes are forcing responsible private estates and landlords to sell up, destroying rural rental stock in the process."
"This isn't just about property numbers; it's about real families. People who have built their lives in villages like Rock, Blanchland & Blenkinsop sometimes across generations—are being forced out."
"Instead of protecting tenants, these policy shifts are driving local residents toward larger towns and opening the door for wealthy out-of-area buyers looking for second homes. We are facing a rural housing emergency where supply is evaporating and local families are paying the price."
Labour leader defends act
Northumberland Labour leader Coun Scott Dickinson, who is a landlord himself, said the changes should not impact 'good' landlords. He said: "It is doing the exact opposite to what the Conservatives are claiming. It is not targeting good landlords, only bad landlords who let their tenants live in squalor, who let their tenants get sick because of black mould."
"I don't understand how anyone could twist it into a bad thing, other than people who don't manage their properties well and will now have to. In my eyes, those people shouldn't be landlords in the first place."
"I'm a landlord myself and I'm not afraid of the changes - nobody else should be. I've had a case load of people who have been kicked out of their properties and then the house has been listed the next day at a higher price - that shouldn't happen."
"There's plenty of mechanisms for bad tenants, which do exist, to be removed. The act changes things and rebalances things so it is fairer for both tenants and landlords and protects everybody."
