Walsall Landlords, Which Party Will You Vote For In The 2019 General Election?

I got stopped in the street the other day…not for a stop and search but by a local landlord who recognised me! As the story goes, we started to talk about the local property market. He was uncertain which way to vote and wanted my opinion. There is so much talk with a nauseas amount of noise from all corners that it’s almost impossible to weigh up the pros and cons for Walsall landlords and Walsall property owners. I mean if I could have it my way, I would love to take some manifesto ideas I like from one party and attached it to the manifesto of another to create my own…wishful thinking…

…so, as Thursday 12th December draws closer, I’m keen to find out which parties Walsall landlords are backing in the General Election. If you’re unsure on who to vote for, I have put together a summary of each party’s housing and rental plans to help you find out everything you need to know before polling day.

Vote Labour

When it comes to housing, the Labour party has plans to:

Create a new Department of Housing, make Homes England a more accountable national housing agency and give councils more control
Set up a new English Sovereign Land Trust with powers to buy land more cheaply for low-cost housing
Keep the Land Registry in public hands and make the ownership of land more transparent
Introduce a new zero-carbon homes standard for all new homes and make existing homes more energy efficient
Build 150,000 new council and social homes
Only allow regeneration to go ahead with the consent of residents and ensure that all residents are offered a new property on the same site and terms
Fund a new Decent Homes program to bring all council and housing association homes up to a good standard
Build more low-cost homes reserved for first-time buyers in every area, with prices linked to local incomes

With regards to the private rental sector, Labour hope to:

Give councils the powers and funding to buy back homes from private landlords
Protect private renters through rent controls, open-ended tenancies and new binding, minimum standards
Cap rents at inflation to stop runaway rents
Create new open-ended tenancies to prevent ‘no fault’ evictions
Ensure all properties are up to scratch with new minimum standards, nationwide licensing and tougher sanctions
Fund new renters’ unions across the country to allow renters to organise and defend their rights
Get rid of the current rules that require landlords to check people’s immigration status or exclude people on housing benefit
Give councils new powers to regulate short-term lets through companies such as Airbnb

You can view the Labour party’s full manifesto here.

Vote Conservatives

If they remain in power, the Conservatives aim to:

Bring in a ‘better’ deal for renters by abolishing no fault evictions and only require one lifetime deposit that moves with the tenant
Encourage a new market in long-term fixed rate mortgages which slash the cost of deposits
Offer more homes to local families by enabling councils to discount homes in perpetuity by a third
Maintain commitment to a Right to Buy scheme for all council tenants
Maintain the voluntary Right to Buy scheme agreed with housing associations
Reform shared ownerships and simplify shared ownership products by setting a single standard for all housing associations
Implementing a ban on the sale of new leasehold homes, restricted ground rents to a peppercorn, and providing necessary mechanisms of redress for tenants
Build 300,000 homes a year by the mid 2020s
Give local communities a say in their own community design standards for new development
Support local communities living on council estates in taking ownership of the land and buildings that they live in
Support the creation of new kinds of homes that have low energy bills and meet our environmental targets
Encourage innovative design to make housing more affordable, accessible and suitable for disabled people and the ageing population
Prioritise brownfield development in order to protect our green spaces

You can read the full Conservative manifesto here.

Vote Liberal Democrats

Jo Swinson and the Liberal Democrats plan to:

Cut energy bills and reduce emissions by providing free retrofits for low-income homes
Piloting a new Energy-Saving Homes Scheme
Graduate Stamp Duty Land Tax by property energy ratings
Require all new homes to be built to a zero-carbon standard by 2021, rising to Passivhaus standard by 2025
Increase minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented properties and remove the cost cap on improvements
Build at least 100,000 homes for social rent each year and ensure that this increases to 300,000
Finance a large increase in the building of social homes
Devolve full control of Right to Buy to local councils
Introduce a new Rent to Own model for social housing where rent payments give tenants an increasing stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years
Allow local authorities to increase council tax up to 500% where houses are being bought as second homes
Introduce a Stamp Duty surcharge on overseas residents purchasing houses as second homes
Establish a new Help to Rent scheme to provide government-backed tenancy deposit loans for all first-time renters under 30
Promote longer tenancies of 3 years of more with an inflation-linked annual rent increase built in
Improve protection against rogue landlords through mandatory licensing
Fully recognise tenant panels so that renters have a voice in landlord governance

You can read the Liberal Democrats’ full manifesto here.

Still not sure?

Still unsure on who to vote for? Read the other party manifestos below:

If you need advice on your buy-to-let property or you wish to learn how to create a sustained/ healthy portfolio which will always have tenant demand and a healthy future…get in touch. Or you may be seeking a second opinion on an investment you have in mind. Either way I’ll always tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear!

Phone: 01922 637672

Email: salekm@ashmorelettings.co.uk

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