Landlords should pay for National Tenants Voice

Leeds Tenants Federation calls on the Coalition Government to levy a compulsory fee on all social housing providers to fund a National Tenants Voice.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps’ decision to pull the plug on the National Tenants Voice means that tenants have been left without a national consumer body to defend their interests.

Landlords, however, have strong and well-funded national organisations to represent their views to government.  The money to fund these producer trade bodies comes out of tenants rents – but no tenant is ever asked if they want to pay.

If landlords can use tenants rents to pay a national oganisation to look after their interests, they can certainly pay to fund the National Tenants Voice,

The National Housing Federation gets £7 million a year out of tenants rents from its 1200 housing association members.  The National Tenants Voice was only going to get £1.5 million and that has been scrapped. The national tenants organisation, TAROE gets only £124,000 to keep it going.

Meanwhile local authorities fund the Local Government Association to the tune of  £15 million.

The forthcoming review of social housing regulation should look at the issue of funding the National Tenants Voice.  Leeds Tenants Federation calls for a compulsory levy on social landlords. If landlords can use tenants rents to promote their own interests, isn’t it about time they paid to give tenants a national voice?