The vast majority of landlords and letting agents view the Government’s plans to abolish Section 21 evictions as a mistake, a new report has revealed.

Some 80% of landlords and 71% of agents told a survey published today by the Property Redress Scheme (PRS) that they view the policy ‘negatively’, a huge increase from 40% and 50% respectively compared to a year ago.

The survey polled some 2,700 landlords and agents, revealing that the overwhelming majority of landlords say legislation is the biggest challenge they face.

This is a steep increase compared to the 2022 survey, when legislation was a top concern for just 39% of landlords.

These figures come from the PRS Annual Report for 2023 which also reveals that most landlords (57%) are unhappy about increased regulation, rising mortgage costs, green upgrade bills and lower tax breaks, double the proportion compared to last year.

Also, the proportion of landlords unhappy with the financial return from their properties has increased from 37% last year to 49% this year.

Michael Gove’s ‘war against the private rented sector’ has also had a predictable effect on landlords’ opinion about the Government’s support for their activities, which has dropped significantly over the past 12 months.

Complaints

The report also reveals a big jump in complaints about letting agents with the most common reasons being holding deposits, poor service and management, and tenancy payments and rent collection.

And the total awards given to unhappy landlords and tenants during 2023 jumped from £360,000 to £953,000, an increase of 95%.

Despite the jump in complaints, the PRS says half its cases were resolved through early dispute resolution, which is informal agreements prior to a formal judgement being made.

“This report reaffirms our dedication to growth, innovation, and excellence, positioning us as the premier avenue for swift and effective resolution of property disputes”, says Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the PRS (pictured)