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Little impact predicted for immigrant tenant vetting plan

A leading lettings agent has called plans to make landlords legally responsible for checking the immigration status of their tenants “another poorly-thought out policy from a government which often looks like they make it up as they go along”.

Landlords are set to face fines of thousands of pounds under proposals unveiled in today’s Queen’s speech which would make them legally responsible for ensuring they only let their properties to people allowed to be in Britain.

While agreeing that immigration is an important issue, Ajay Jagota, of KIS Lettings - who manage properties for some 700 landlords across the North East from branches in Sunderland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside - warned that while the proposals might sound good, they are unlikely to have much impact.

He said: “Every time new lettings laws are proposed I pose the same question. That’s all very well, but who is going to enforce it? Now it seems like the government expects landlords to take over the duties of the police and the UK Border Agency!

“Not only am I not aware of any consultation with the industry over these proposals, the government has already been unable to answer basic questions about how they will actually work. How will do you stop landlords being left in the ridiculous position of inadvertently discriminating on the grounds of race to be on the safe side? Will landlords have to knock on the door over every single tenant to ask to see their papers? You can’t just announce things and work out how they’re going to work later.

“This already sounds like another poorly-thought out policy from a government which often looks like they’re making it up as they go along. They might get some good headlines today, but longer term I can see this proposal having all the impact of an inflatable hammer.

“As is so often the case with issues like this, the vast majority of responsible, sensible landlords will already be ensuring their tenants have a legal right to live in the UK as deported tenants tend not to pay their rent. The dodgy landlords who don’t, still won’t.

“Of course immigration is a hugely important issue, as are landlords who put tenants in substandard properties and who line their pockets from people’s misery. This proposal does nothing to tackle any of those issues”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ajay Jagota .