Labour is likely to reintroduce the Renters (Reform) Bill in a similar form if it wins the election and has already confirmed its view that the court process needs speeding up.

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle (main image, left) reveals that the landlord body has been talking with both main political parties who agree with the amended bill – including the most recent government changes - and believe it was simply lack of time in the Lords that prevented it from getting through.

Speaking on the Listen Up Landlords podcast with property expert Richard Blanco (main image, right), Beadle said he was confident the Bill would return “like a boomerang” in some guise, regardless of who formed the next government.

He said the NRLA had written to Ed Miliband back in July 2014 about Labour Party tenure proposals.

“There we highlighted court reform, issues around the three-year tenancy, and we have had a reply from Matthew Pennycook to say, ‘we all want the court processes to be quicker’.”

Wrinkle out

Beadle said it would be reminding politicians - if it was a Labour government - of their previous comments on this.

He added: “It is very easy to say you would do something in 100 days, but as the Conservatives have found out, there are a lot of things to wrinkle out.

“I think the best thing to do would be for Labour to pick up the bill that they had agreed to.”

Responding to fears that some Labour MPs’ ideas might come into focus if there were a Labour government, such as landlords not being able to sell a property until the tenant had lived there for two years, Beadle said it was time for the party to come clean and set out their stall very clearly.

He added: “What the next administration must do is bring landlords and renters and the whole sector along with them and pick up where we left off.”