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Leading parties manifesto breakdown regarding the housing market

Below are the headline pledges relating to housing/letting as kindly compiled by the National Landlord Association.

Labour Manifesto Pledges :

Housing Benefit will be reformed to ensure that we do not subsidise people to live in the private sector on rents that other ordinary working families could not afford. And we will continue to crack down on those who try to cheat the benefit system.

We will guarantee the three million households who rent from a private landlord the right to a written tenancy agreement and access to free and impartial advice; and we will establish a new National Landlord Register.

We will introduce a new Warm Home Standard for social housing and regulate landlords so that privately rented accommodation is properly insulated. We have legislated for compulsory contributions from energy companies to protect the vulnerable.

A ‘Respect’ standard for the private rented sector will be introduced; and local ASB champions will make agencies work together to tackle cases.

Conservative Manifesto Pledges :

Amend the ‘Use Classes Order’ so that people can use buildings for any purpose allowed in the local plan.

We will also abolish Home Information Packs, which have made a significant contribution to problems in our housing market.

Keep Energy Performance Certificates to help people improve.

Raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million.

Make permanent the £250,000 SDLT threshold for first time buyers.

Create a ‘Green Deal’, giving every home up to £6,500 worth of energy improvement measures – with more for hard-to-treat homes – paid for out of savings made on fuel bills over 25 years.

Lib Dem Manifesto Pledges :

There should be quality social and private rented housing available for those who need or choose it.

Make sure that repossession is always the last resort by changing the powers of the courts.

Bring 250,000 empty homes back into use with cheap loans and grants as part of our job creation plan.

Begin a national programme to insulate more homes paid for by the savings from lower energy bills.

Make sure every new home is fully energy efficient by improving building regulations.

Scrap Home Information Packs, retaining the requirement for homes to have an energy performance certificate.

Plaid Cymru Manifesto Pledges :

There should be an immediate cut in VAT to 5% on all home maintenance, repairs and improvements.

A moratorium on stamp duty for first-time buyers.

Primary legislation relating to housing should now be devolved to the National Assembly.

UKIP Manifesto Pledges :

Require those on benefits starting with Housing and Council Tax Benefit recipients in private rented homes - to take part in council-run local community projects called ‘Workfare’ schemes.

Scrap Home information packs.

Please note that the text contained within this document is made up of extracts from the political party manifestos available at time of writing. This document is not intended as an exhaustive summary of party policies.

All content and style remains the responsibility of the originating organisations.

14.04.2010. 07:26