02/06/2009 - Incentives for landlords urged
The Government has been urged to introduce incentives for private landlords amid reports that thousands of tenants are living in sub-standard homes.
The Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla) says that landlords should be given benefits such as tax incentives to upgrade properties in the private rented sector.
Although Arla figures show that the number of properties available to rent in the private sector has risen by 17% during the past year, the group warned that many of these were sub-standard and required improvements.
Of the landlords surveyed by Arla, 61% said they would modernise their rented properties if tax incentives were given on the cost of an upgrade.
Ian Potter, operations manager at Arla, said: "The private rental sector is dominated by small landlords - just under three quarters of all landlords are private individual or couples rather than companies.
"The costs of improving stock are often intimidating, especially when meeting decent homes standards and energy efficiency targets."
Properties in the private sector are typically between 51 and 100 years old, Arla said.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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