This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has spoken about what it would like to see in today’s Budget.
RLA’s Plea to George Osborne
Alan Ward, Chairman of the RLA, says: “The private rented sector is now the only housing tenure growing, with demand set to increase further.
“As the Financial Secretary to the Treasury has alluded to, encouraging growth in the sector is good for jobs and good for all those looking for a home.”
Last month, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke MP, responded to a parliamentary question by saying that private rental housing “supports the economy through improved labour market flexibility.”1
As most landlords are individuals renting out just a small number of properties, the RLA believes that the Government should recognise this as a business activity through the tax system.
The RLA is hoping for an end to tax rules that mean VAT can be reclaimed when a new home is built for owner occupation, but not for renting.
The RLA is also supporting the Government’s plans for growing homeownership, by calling for rollover relief on capital gains tax (CGT) when the sale of a rental property is to a first time buyer, with controls such as a maximum limit on price.
Ward adds: “The Chancellor has a golden opportunity to go for growth, which we urge him to seize.”1
