Buy to let landlords use Facebook to fight legislation

09 April 2010

Posted by Steve Olejnik

Buy to let landlords are using a social networking site to voice their concerns about new government legislation that changes the way rented accommodation is categorised.

Changes were introduced on April 6th in a bid to reduce the size of student housing clusters that are located near colleges and universities in the UK.

These 'use classes orders' mean landlords will have to apply for planning permission to let three or more unrelated tenants move into a property that was previously occupied by an individual or members of the same family.

This could raise the costs of being a buy to let landlord and the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has set up a Facebook group encouraging students to join the fight against the new rules.

RLA chairman Alan Ward argued: "This government sledgehammer is inappropriate, disproportionate, discriminatory [and] totally anti-democratic."

The body has also been running a petition against the change, but this is currently closed to new signatures until after the general election on May 6th.

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