90% of landlords unaware of new right-to-rent changes

The government’s right-to-rent scheme came in to effect on 1st February 2016 as part of the Immigration Bill passed through parliament in late 2015.

As a result, landlords now have a legal duty to carry out and provide evidence of checks to make sure potential tenants have the right to rent property in England and Wales or face a fine of £3,000.

According to a recent survey by a national landlord association, over 90% of landlords surveyed had not received any information from the government about this new duty, and 72% did not understand their obligations under the new rules.

The lack of information is leading to confusion about how landlords are expected to carry out such checks. With such formalisation and regulation of the private rented sector, this undoubtedly puts extra pressure on landlords and the importance of employing a fully up to speed and compliant letting agent is ever more relevant.

At Blundells, the experienced team are well prepared for such legislative changes with the lettings professionals advising their clients on a daily basis.

William Thompson, Business Manager at Blundells said: “The last five years have seen significant legislative changes that have undoubtedly increased the pressure on landlords and agents. Under the guidance of a professional letting agent when basic steps are followed, landlords can be confident they have complied with new laws and mitigated any risk.

“With our comprehensive fully managed service here at Blundells, we shoulder that risk and responsibility with the landlord, ensuring our clients are fully compliant and kept up to date with such changes.”

Blundells has been operating since 1977 and constantly invests in both its processes and people.

“We constantly review our processes to ensure we are fully compliant and this is important not only to ensure we operate within the law, but also to have the trust of our valued clients. A lot of the time our clients simply don’t have the time to keep up to date with changes in the law and this is where our expert staff come in.

“We can take the stress away from what can be a difficult and time consuming job. Some of our clients like to be fully involved on a week by week basis but most prefer to leave everything to us. We are flexible and have a bespoke service that fits all needs.”

For a free no obligation advice on the new changes contact Blundells on 01142689980 or email [email protected]