Less red tape for buy to let landlords, says Shapps

17 June 2010

Written by Steve Olejnik

Buy to let landlords will not be bogged down in bureaucracy after a reform in housing policy, housing minister Grant Shapps said today (June 17th).

Councils will have more options available to them to assist them in the management of shared homes in their area, the MP announced.

Having a high density of these properties - known as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) - can lead to difficulties, particularly if there are many short-term tenants living in one region who have little involvement with the local community, he went on.

The new legislation will allow councils to designate areas where landlords will be required to submit a planning application if they wish to lease an abode in this manner.

"This will give them the flexibility to make decisions that are right for their communities, rather than stifling the rental market with unnecessary costs and red tape," the minister explained.

Responding to the news, the National Landlords Association commented that it welcomed the measures but that care must be taken by local authorities to ensure that the rules were not used in such a way that inadvertently creates a shortfall in housing supply.

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