New Platform Will Make Tackling Criminal Landlords Easier

Private sector tenants will find it easier to hold criminal landlords to account thanks to a new online platform being launched in Parliament today.

The ‘My Housing Issue’ Gateway, designed by the TDS Charitable Foundation, will ensure tenants know where to take complaints related to rented housing.

Research by the Foundation has found that 50 per cent of private renters do not know where to go for help if their letting agent or landlord fails to address a problem they have. Almost half (48 per cent) said they want clearer information on how to make a complaint when needed. 69 per cent said they would make use of a dedicated website to help them resolve their housing problems.

With the Renters’ Rights Bill creating new enforcement tools and standards in the private rented sector, this will add to the array of already complex enforcement mechanisms currently available which tenants are already struggling to navigate.

The Gateway will help tenants identify the correct route to seek to resolve their problems, encourage the early resolution of disputes where possible, and provide relevant information about housing rights and options in an interactive and user-friendly format. It has been designed following extensive consultation with government officials, and groups representing tenants, landlords, letting agents and the legal advice sector.

It will complement plans for a new database of private rented properties which will be a central part of the Government’s reforms to the rental market.

The TDS Charitable Foundation is now calling on the Government to include the Gateway in the ‘How to Rent’ guide which is legally required to be given to every tenant.

Dr Jennifer Harris, Head of Policy and Research at TDS Group said:

“Tenants are hungry for better, easy to access information to enforce their rights and hold criminal landlords to account. The Gateway will do just that, ensuring renters know where to go for the help they need, when they need it.

“Empowering tenants like this will be vital if the Government’s ambitions of a better private rented sector are to become a reality.”

Dan Wilson Craw, Deputy Chief Executive at Generation Rent, said:

“One of the biggest barriers to improving private rented homes is the sheer number of bodies that play a role in enforcing tenant protections, and the confusion this creates among renters themselves. As the government implements the reforms currently going through Parliament it is essential that private renters can access free, clear and useful resources and information. This new Gateway offers tenants an easy-to-use tool, tailored to their needs – empowering them to make their next moves informed and with confidence.”

Chris Norris, Campaigns and Policy Director for the National Residential Landlords Association, said:

“Any good landlord will tell you that communication is the key to sustaining a successful tenancy. Yet it’s too often the case that minor problems in rental properties can be allowed to worsen dramatically due to a communication breakdown between landlords and tenants.

“Tenants should have the confidence and the tools to be able to resolve issues in their rented accommodation, and we endorse the TDS Charitable Foundation’s move to make it easier for tenants to log problems in their rental property with their landlords.

“This new Gateway should act as a useful way for both groups to identify appropriate solutions in a faster, more effective way – before molehills start to become mountains”.

Andrea Fraser, Civil Lawyer for JUSTICE, said:

“At the heart of every housing dispute is a home – so it is crucial that when problems arise, they are nipped in the bud early and that safe, fair tenant-landlord relationships are created and maintained. Yet currently, tenants face a daunting legal maze when trying to enforce their rights. JUSTICE has long recommended a ‘one stop shop’ for housing redress, and the launch of the My Housing Issue Gateway is a huge step forward in making redress more accessible. We are very pleased to support its launch.”

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News from the team at Estate Agent Networking. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today! When and where we can we will refer to third party websites with a 'live link back' where news was released first.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Best Budget Smartphones Under $200

In the rapidly advancing digital era, it’s no longer a luxury but a necessity to have a smartphone. Not everyone however needs or is able to pay hundreds of dollars for an expensive device. The good news is that there are numerous budget smartphones under $200 that provide great performance, decent cameras, and a long…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Ten years on: More first-time buyers moving to cities while the coast stands still

New ten-year analysis of the property market shows that more first-time buyers are looking to move to cities, while the coast has seen no growth in new buyers First-time buyer demand to move to Great Britain’s 50 largest cities (excluding London) is up by 16% on average over the last ten years, with Dundee topping…
Read More
Breaking News

Homeowners in England and Wales overvalue their properties by an average of 16%

Homeowners in England and Wales are overestimating the value of their property by an average of 16%, according to new figures. Data from Quick Move Now compares homeowner estimates with formal estate agent valuations and is broken down by both region and property type. Overall, homeowners overvalue in every single category.   Regional breakdown Region…
Read More
Visual blemishes on Roads due to service upgrades
Estate Agent Talk

Emergency Sidewalk Repairs: When to Act and Who to Call

Sidewalks are the unsung heroes of city infrastructure—quietly assisting tens of millions of footsteps every day. But when they crack, disintegrate, or shift all of sudden, they might quickly turn out to be volatile liabilities. In a town like New York, in which pedestrian site visitors are constant and belongings proprietors are legally chargeable for…
Read More
Breaking News

Reapit report reveals agents’ long-term market confidence amid legislative challenges

Despite the significant challenges posed by a shifting economic landscape and the largest wave of housing legislation in decades, estate and letting agents remain steadfast in their confidence about their long-term future in the industry. According to the first Reapit Property Outlook Report 2025, covering the full breadth of sales and lettings agency opinion countrywide,…
Read More
Breaking News

Owner-Occupiers Drive Resilient Commercial Property Market

Buying Becomes 37% Cheaper Than Renting The latest Commercial Property Demand Index from specialist property finance expert, Rangewell, reveals that while investor appetite across the sector held steady in Q2, strong levels of owner-occupied commercial mortgage activity are helping drive market performance, as business owners increasingly move from renting to buying their long-term premises for…
Read More