It’s time for the Tories to end their war on landlords once and for all

A row of terraced residential houses
A row of terraced residential houses

In between the various hustings to show off the talents of the four Tory leadership candidates there are serious debates in Birmingham about the key issues of the moment, from energy policy to economic growth. The party has taken heart from the mess Labour has made of its first three months in office and especially from the appearance of clear blue water since last week’s speech by Sir Keir Starmer. His reassertion of the old Labour belief in big government and state control has reminded Conservatives why they are opposed to socialism.

But there are legacy policies that started with the Tories and are being continued under Labour. A football regulator and the age ban on smoking until it is eradicated were pursued under Rishi Sunak.

So, too, was the Government’s war on landlords. It began under the former minister Michael Gove, who promised legislation to end no-fault evictions and to scrap leasehold. The Renters (Reform) Bill was never enacted before the election but Labour has taken it up with alacrity, threatening to drive landlords out of the market.

Both parties have tipped the relationship between landlord and tenant too far in favour of the latter. One speaker in the debate in Birmingham said the system was on the verge of collapse.

Labour has doubled down on the Conservative policy and, with its huge majority, will be able to force the reforms through parliament. A Renters’ Rights Bill, included in the King’s Speech, is said to be intended to make “renting fairer for all” but it won’t be if landlords simply give up because they no longer have any rights over their own properties.

In addition, ministers are considering new rules under which landlords would be required to upgrade their homes to make them energy efficient, something that could cost thousands of pounds in older houses.

The exodus of owners from the market will reduce properties for rent, push up prices and worsen homelessness. This is exacerbated by the failure to build enough homes, with few imagining that Labour will be any more successful in this regard than their predecessors.

It is a looming crisis entirely caused by political interference and overbearing regulation. The experience from Scotland where controls have pushed up rents should be a salutary lesson.

To its discredit, the Conservative Party has been part of this bipartisan landlord bashing. It is time for the Tories to stop playing to the gallery and recognise the damage that is being caused.