Following a recent BBC Panorama programme – The Great Housing Benefit Scandal – the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) wrote to the BBC complaining about the show’s misleading portrayal of landlords.
Alan Ward the RLA Chairman expressed his disappointed that the BBC once again to ignore the views of those bodies representing the vast majority of responsible landlords providing decent accommodation for their tenants.
Mr Ward in his letter asked for a number of points to be cleared up. In particular the type of property featured ‘ a caravan park, a hostel, and a hotel ‘ not being typical of the private rented sector (PRS) lettings. Also, the resources or lack of them local authorities are putting in to tackle problems of poor standards in rented accommodation.
A response letter has now been received by the RLA from the editor of the Panorama programme.
The BBC editor’s main assertion in his letter is that it was made abundantly clear that these were exceptional landlords and the programme was about a ‘relatively small number of individual landlords’ rather than intending to tar all landlords with the same brush. Panorama said the show made it clear that many landlords provide good quality homes.
For those who saw they programme, they can judge that for themselves.
The RLA letter is here
The BBC letter of response is here.
… LandlordZONE.
Article courtesy of LandlordZONE””
