I do know however, databases present big problems when it comes to data protection and must be managed properly.

In terms of the rogue landlord element I also appreciate the fact that the idea behind any organisation such as your own is to cultivate the cream of the crop. We keep hearing that rogue landlords are a minority but this surely works purely on the notion that if you belong to something then you are not a rogue. This may well be the case for all I know but how does anyone know there are only a few rogue landlords when so many fall under the radar and because there is no compulson for them to to belong to any organisation whatosever?

I raised this issue of ‘falling under the radar’ in 2007 and although it concerned our (later to be convicted of customs and excise fraud) freeholder, I wrote at the time that had there been a licencing database already in existence then perhaps he would have though twice about becoming a freeholder. This is surely the crux of what a licence of some description is for.

You also go on to say that there is no current way of finding out about a landlords entire portfolio because it is considered private information. I personally remain curious that as becoming a landlord is a business choice and most of the private rental sector is made up of couples and individuals, then why should their portfolios be considered not suitable for public consumption?

I’m afraid your first question is one for CAB, Crisis and Shelter.

The NLA can only represent the best in breed for landlords. Professional landlords have nothing to hide from effective and appropriate regulation, but the Government have yet to convince the landlord community precisely HOW they think a landlord register will root out rogue landlords.

We genuinely believe that the Government should be focusing on the bad landlords by resourcing local authorities more effectively in their enforcement activity.

The Rugg Review proposals are now a thing of the past. Julie’s ideas have been developed by Gov’t and consulted upon and now we wait to see what they intend to do.

But I think landlords’ concerns are the same as most citizens. A central database holding lots of information in one place is rarely the answer. And there is also no way – currently – of finding out about a landlords entire portfolio. This is considered private information and not for public consumption.

Having first hand experience of what the lack of even a basic licencing/registration database can cause across both the private rental and the long leasehold sectors, I have to wonder if there are other reasons for landlords not wishing to be more centralised. If anyone could also take the time to quantify as to why good landlords would be penalised when much of the information required to implement the Rugg Review proposals are held across a number of databases aready then I would be very appreciative.

But as proposals have developed, it is now clear that this is NOT what the Government has planned and, therefore, the NLA has come out strongly against the submission of rental property address as part of a register.

As we’ve been closely involved in the CLG Task and Finish Groups on the register and licensing of letting agents, we’re well placed to see the directions of travel the Government has in mind and try and influence to landlords’ advantage.