Landlords are Turning their Backs on the Conservative Party, Survey Finds

Private landlords are turning their backs on the Conservative Party, with just one in six (16%) now saying that they would support it in an election, according to a survey conducted by the National Landlords Association (NLA).

The study, carried out shortly after the once strongly pro-business party announced its plans to abolish Section 21 notices and end fixed term tenancies, found that more than two thirds (69%) of landlord respondents had voted for the Conservative Party in 2017. However, of those, just 25% said that they would do so again, were an election called today.

Meanwhile, 85% of landlords stated that they would be likely to vote against any party proposing to remove Section 21 and 89% would vote against any party proposing rent controls.

Richard Lambert, the CEO of the NLA, isn’t surprised that landlords are turning their backs on the Conservative Party: “It’s hardly surprising that landlords are losing faith in the Conservatives, given the way their Government has overturned the economic, and now legislative, foundations of the private rented sector since 2015. The Tories’ attitude seems to be ‘well, who else are landlords going to vote for?’ The response is coming back loud and clear, ‘not you’.”

The Conservatives’ mantra that it is the only party for business has a hollow echo to the two-million-plus landlords in the UK who see the Party and its Government refusing to recognise them as having legitimate business interests.

Lambert continues: “Our members have told us that removing Section 21 would be devastating and costly for their businesses. Conservative ministers need to take the time to understand what’s actually happening in the private rented sector, or it may end up costing them dearly.” 

Landlords, have you turned your back on the Conservative Party? If so, which party are you supporting instead?