NLA urges landlords to report rents to Valuation Office Agency
Posted by Lucy Wooldridge
The National Landlords Association (NLA) is urging landlords to report the rent levels of their list property to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to help local authorities determine average market rents in their area.
This is vital in helping the local authority gain a full understanding of the state of the private rented sector in the area, stressed the organisation.
Furthermore, it will help determine the amount of local housing allowance (LHA) that is paid to tenants on benefits.
Under the government's cuts to LHA, payments will be based on the 30th percentile of local rents, rather than the previous 50th percentile.
Therefore, helping the VOA arrive at an accurate figure for rent levels could ultimately benefit landlords if the have tenants receiving LHA.
"It's important that local authorities have an accurate picture of the rental market in their area to help them set their LHA payments, and they rely on voluntary reporting by landlords," said David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA.
"With rents increasing because of higher demand on the private rented sector, this will help ensure tenants on benefits receive what they are entitled to."
Landlords can report their rents to the VOA by filling in the lettings information and collection form and emailing, posting or faxing it back to them.
"It's very easy for landlords to report their rents and they can be sure that the information is held confidentially by the VOA," added Mr Salusbury.
It follows the announcement that the government is to reconsider proposals to include housing benefits within its 'universal credit' system.
This would have seen LHA go directly to tenants as part of a single benefits payment, which they would then need to pass on to the landlord.
However, the government may now give people the option of receiving the payment themselves, or it going straight to their landlord.
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