Landlords unconvinced by national register

Proposals for a new national register are not being met with praise from landlords in England, new research has indicated.

A Paragon Mortgages study found that landlords are worried the country-wide register could result in less investment in the private rented sector.

More than half of landlords surveyed (56 per cent) indicated that the register may hinder investment, with 57 per cent claiming it could force some landlords to leave the market.

Also, 48 per cent of respondents noted that they do not expect the register to improve standards in the sector.

John Heron, Paragon Mortgages' managing director, said: "Landlords are already subject to an estimated 50 acts of parliament and 70 sets of regulation, so they are naturally going to be sceptical about the introduction of another major regulatory initiative.

"Whilst it is right that the government takes steps to drive out the rogue elements of the private rented sector, it must ensure that any regulation is fair and proportionate."

If introduced, the register will feature landlords' names, addresses and the addresses of homes they are renting out.

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