The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has welcomed the Welsh government’s rejection of proposals that would see landlords required to compensate evicted tenants.
The Welsh government had been assessing proposals from the local government & housing committee, which included new measures for tenants involved in “no-fault” evictions.
The committee had proposed that landlords pay these tenants the last two months’ rent as a compensation for the financial and wellbeing impacts of such a move.
In a response letter, housing secretary Jayne Bryant flagged that tenants knowing of this compensation recourse would delay finding alternative accommodation in order to benefit from such a payment.
Bryant warned this would “significantly undermine” the policy intention, and added that landlords would have to increase other rents to cover such expenses.
The NRLA has applauded this decision from the Welsh government, arguing it reflects the need to balance tenant protections with landlords’ rights.
"We welcome the Welsh Government’s common sense decision to drop proposals that would have imposed arbitrary compensation payments on landlords using legitimate grounds for possession,” said Ben Beadle, CEO at the NRLA.
“Confidence in the Welsh private rented sector has been knocked significantly in recent years, but the decision to reject this measure outright is a step in the right direction.
“I am delighted that our concerns have been listened to.”
