The organisations want further efforts introduced to help reduce costs for landlords without mortgages.
The Residential Landlords Association and the National Landlords Association are calling on the government to build on further supporting the private rented sector.
The organisations want further efforts introduced to help reduce costs for landlords without mortgages.
Furthermore, the RLA and NLA want recognition that all but emergency repairs and maintenance where there is a threat to the safety of tenants or the habitability of the property will be postponed until such time that normal business may resume
As well as this, the organisations want any new payments to councils for licensing schemes paused, and to waive costs charged by superior landlords for blocks of flats, such as service charges, and ground rent charges in relation to leasehold properties.
Furthermore, the associations want the government to scrap the five-week wait for the first payment of Universal Credit, and to ensure the housing element properly reflects rent levels,
In addition, the RLA and NLA are calling for the government to pay the housing element of new UC claims directly to the landlords in both the social and private rented sectors to provide assurance that rent is covered.
In a joint statement, the Residential Landlords Association and the National Landlords Association said: “We welcome the government’s constructive engagement to date and will continue to work with them in the same spirit.
“Whilst measures to allow buy-to-let mortgage holidays are welcome, further action is needed.
“Everything possible needs to be done to support the incomes of tenants affected by the crisis. That means a suite of measures to ensure benefits can be paid swiftly, and that they properly cover the costs of rents.
“This needs to be matched with further measures to reduce the costs faced especially by landlords without a mortgage.
“This would provide them with greater flexibility to work with tenants struggling as a consequence of the virus.
“We recognise the concerns that many landlords and tenants will still have and are working closely with the Government to ensure they are addressed.
“In the meantime we thank landlords who are supporting their tenants at this difficult time.”
