Call for Covid support - make your voice heard

Landlords are suffering as a result of the Covid pandemic, with the NRLA today renewing calls for financial support. 

MPs are already asking questions in Parliament as a result of landlords’ lobbying and we need your help to make sure this continues. 

According to a poll conducted by YouGov for the NRLA, 19% of landlords have lost up to half of their usual rental income as a result of Covid-19, with 3% losing more than half. 

Data from the same survey suggests that the total rental income lost by private landlords in England as a result of the pandemic could be up to £437m. 

Not only this, but the six-month closure of the courts and the subsequent ban on bailiffs actioning eviction orders – set to last until January 11 at the earliest – has left some landlords in dire straits. 

Despite this so far there has been no direct financial support for the rental market. 

Campaigning  

The NRLA has been campaigning for interest free, government guaranteed hardship loans for tenants affected by Covid-19 for some time. The scheme would see payments made directly to landlords to cover rent arrears accumulated since the start of the pandemic.  

We are also asking for income support for landlords, so that if a tenant refuses, or is unable, to take up a loan then landlords will be given a grant to cover the arrears. 

We continue to lobby on this issue at the very highest level, but we need your help in sharing your stories of how the virus is affecting you and your business. 

Last month Sir Robert Syms, Conservative MP for Poole demanded a debate on the challenges facing the sector as a result of talking to landlords prevented from repossessing homes where arrears had built predating the crisis and others stuck with anti-social tenants. 

And he is not the only one. 

The messages you are giving to your political representatives are getting through, but we now need to keep up the pressure and lobby for action.  

Share your story

If your lettings business has been affected by Covid-19, or the legislative changes introduced as a result of the pandemic we would encourage you to join our campaign and contact your MP to share your story. 

Our coronavirus campaigns page includes a link to a letter which you can edit to reflect your circumstances and send to your MP, to share your story and echo our calls for support. 

To access the page click here.