Monday, April 16, 2012
Ken Livingstone - Labour Mayoral Manifesto Launched
Click here to download
Ken Livingstone has also published his Manifesto for the
upcoming London Mayoral election. The relevant section on
housing begins on page 35 of the document. Of particular
note, it states that:
".... As a priority, I will help reduce the price and
improve standards of private rented accommodation by establishing a
not-for-profit lettings agency that saves tenants and landlords
money by avoiding rip-off estate agents' fees, and creating a
Tenants' Charter that sets minimum standards for rented
accommodation. No-one should have to spend more than a third of
their earnings on rent and we will develop the case for a London
Living Rent."
The document then gives further detail of Mr Livingstone's
plans, pledging that he will:
"Encourage fairer rents and better tenancy agreements
through a London Lettings Agency. Building on good
initiatives by some London Boroughs, we will establish a London
Lettings Agency. This will free good landlords from estate agents
who can charge up to ten per cent of annual rental income for
marketing properties, which in turn pushes up rents. Tenants will
enjoy a one-stop-shop where they can go to find good quality
accommodation at fair rents. The National Landlords' Association
has welcomed our proposal.
- Establish a Tenants' Charter. I will establish a Tenants'
Charter, setting out what private tenants can expect from their
landlords. This will include a series of standards including:
protection for tenants' deposits; a commitment to make reasonable
repairs when required; good standards of energy efficiency. I will
encourage councils, housing associations and private landlords to
sign up. Only landlords that do so, and abide by its terms, will be
eligible to be listed via the new London Lettings Agency.
- Set up a London-wide landlord registration scheme. I
will push for a mandatory landlord registration scheme similar to
the model operating in Scotland. Tenants should at least be
entitled to know who their landlord is and landlords should have to
demonstrate that they are 'fit and proper' persons offering decent
standards of accommodation.
- Campaign for a 'London Living Rent'. No Londoner should
have to pay more than one-third of their income on rent, so we will
research and set a benchmark for assessing the reasonableness of
rents being charged. The Mayor does not have powers to regulate
rents, but I will campaign for legislation for a fairer system of
controlling rent increases based on successful schemes in other
countries.
- Lobby for better regulation of the private rented sector. I
will lobby government and, if necessary use the Mayor's powers to
promote parliamentary legislation, to tackle rogue landlords,
protect good landlords, provide increased security of tenure for
tenants and raise standards across the private rented
sector."
The document also sets out the Mayor's plans to:
- Help first-time buyers
- Improve home insulation
- Protect social tenants' rights
- Increase housing supply