Simon Bowkett, Labour’s candidate for the 2015 General Election in South Dorset, has backed new Labour plans for a better deal for those renting their homes privately.
One of the biggest causes of the cost of living crisis in our country is the price of renting or buying a home, and Labour has already pledged that it will make sure that Britain builds 200,000 more homes a year by the end of the next Parliament so that more families can fulfil their dream of home ownership.
Figures obtained from the 2011 census showed that the number of households buying their home in Weymouth & Portland has fallen by over 21% since 2001, while the number renting privately has risen by 53%. One in five homes in the borough is now privately rented.
Simon Bowkett told us:
“Our local councillors and I have been talking to families and individuals renting locally, and people are struggling. They are telling us that they are worried about the prospect that their rent could jump up by a big amount from one year to the next, or that they will be asked to leave their home at short notice. Local people want to be able to settle down, to put down roots and have peace of mind.
“While the Government has failed to act, a future Labour Government will give families the security of a longer tenancy and predictable rents to stop excessive rises so that they can manage tight family finances and plan ahead.
“If you buy your home, most estate agents will not charge you fees, but people in our town who rent are given no protection and they get charged £350 in fees on average. That’s a lot of money for a lot of people and that’s why Labour will legislate to ban these rip-off charges by letting agents.”
Action to support local tenants could even begin before the General Election if Labour becomes the largest group on Weymouth & Portland Borough Council after this May’s elections. Labour candidate Tashi Warr said:
“When we planned for these elections we wanted to set out a bold new vision for the borough, and housing is a key priority for us. We are exploring the idea of a council-led not-for-profit letting agency that will give local residents an option without high fees. The average length of tenancy now is just one year – and that’s a bad thing for households and for community cohesion. We want our residents to feel secure, rooted in their neighbourhoods and playing an active part in their community.”
South Dorset Labour’s vision is set out at www.visionforweyport.co.uk
Nationally, nine million people are living in rented homes today, over a million families, and over two million children. With tenants facing high fees from lettings agents and insecure tenancies, Labour has announced the biggest change in a generation to make the system fairer for renters.
The next Labour government will ban letting agents’ fees for tenants, saving renters on average £350 in costs, and will legislate to make three year tenancies the standard in the British private rented sector to give people who rent the certainty they need.
