Following the Grenfell tragedy, ministers have proposed that landlords renting out more than one leasehold property will be excluded from the government’s plans to finance the removal of dangerous cladding.
“Buy-to-let landlords are no more to blame than other leaseholders for historic building safety defects and landing them with potentially unaffordable bills will only slow down or prevent works to make buildings safe,” the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee, said in its report on building safety.
Read more: Industry to pay for unsafe cladding issues.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), in its evidence provided to the committee, argued that it was completely unfair that individual landlords should be the only leaseholders not to be covered by the government’s commitment that no leaseholder should have to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding.
The committee noted that it had heard from landlords who find themselves outside of the scope of the protections, and are now facing bills they cannot afford.
Ben Beadle, NRLA chief executive officer, said that the committee was right in insisting that landlords should not be blamed more than other leaseholders for historic building safety defects.
“We are delighted that the committee agrees with us. The government’s decision to exclude buy-to-let landlords renting more than one property from its scheme is unfair and unacceptable,” Beadle said.
“Ministers now need to stop dragging their feet on this issue, accept the committee’s conclusions and end its unjust and inexcusable policy.”
