Labour

Government silent on whether we are getting value for money from private landlords - Byrne

Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has written to Nick Clegg calling for a clamp down on profiteering by private landlords.

Liam Byrne said:
 
“The Housing Benefit bill for this year stands at a staggering £22 billion. Billions of pounds of tax payers money flowing straight into the hands of private landlords. Yet the Government is curiously silent on whether we are getting value for money.
 
“I have written to Nick Clegg to ask him to meet with me to discuss how we create a benefit cap that fits, but also to look at how we can regulate the private landlords who have done so much to drive up the costs of housing benefit.
 
“These private landlords currently receive a public subsidy to make enormous profit on properties often in a very poor state of repair. Why are we letting them get away with this?
 
“Responsibility has to run all the way through society – the majority of private landlords provide decent accommodation at a fair price - now it is time for every landlord to live up to those standards.
 
“Our message to the Government is simple. We all agree on the principle of a benefit cap. But let’s not pretend that will solve every problem. The bill for housing benefit is too high – and it won’t come down to a reasonable level until we build more homes including at affordable rents, set higher standards for decent rented accommodation and clamp down on profiteering private landlords once and for all.”