17
Sep
Landlords 'not prepared to reduce rents'
Letting
agents and private landlords are not prepared to reduce their
rents in order to make room for the proposed housing benefit
cuts.
This is the opinion of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA),
which stated that the government's plans to reduce the local
housing allowance (LHA) will prevent claimants from being able to
live in 70 per cent of rental accommodation.
Alan Ward, chairman of the RLA, revealed that 75 per cent of
landlords with buy-to-let properties will "not be prepared to
reduce their rental levels".
He also stated that 54 per cent of landlords said the proposed cuts
will make them stop letting to housing benefit claimants.
The National Landlords Association recently reported that the
reductions to the LHA could result in up to 90 per cent of
landlords being less likely to take on claimants as tenants.
More than one million people, who currently receive housing
benefits, can expect to receive a reduction in LHA of £12 per
week if the proposals go ahead.