This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
As Britain’s take to the polls in the closest election in decades, a number of people may still be undecided where to put their ‘X.’
With that in mind, here are the main parties’ housing policies, which may just sway some voters:
Conservatives
- Extend the Right to Buy scheme to 1.3 million Housing Association properties within England
- Launch a Help to Buy ISA to support first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder
- Build 200,000 homes for first-time buyers under 40, with 20% discount
- Create a £1bn brownfield regeneration fund to create sites for an additional 400,00 homes
Labour
- Build 200,000 new homes per year each year by 2020
- Bring in minimum term three-year tenancy agreements in the private sector
- Impose a ‘mansion tax’ on all properties valued at over £2m to fund additional housing
- Prioritise local first-time buyers in new housing areas
Liberal Democrats
- Up housebuilding to 300,000 homes per year
- Prevent landlords from renting out insufficiently insulated homes
- Implement Rent to Own scheme, with 30,000 homes promised by 2020
UKIP
- Build one million homes on previously developed land by the year 2025
- Remove stamp duty on first £250,000 of new properties on this land
- Preserve the Greenbelt
Political Parties’ Housing Promises
SNP
- Complete abolition of the bedroom tax
- Support Help to Buy and other shared equity regimes
- Back investment of 100,000 affordable homes in the UK
- Prevent restriction of housing benefit for 18-21 year olds
Green Party
- Build 500,000 social rental properties by the year 2020
- Restore 350,000 unoccupied properties back into full use
- Introduce five-year tenancies with rent caps
- Prevent right to buy council homes
Plaid Cymru
- Provide rent controls to assist tenants
- Support further implementation of energy efficiency measures
Property and how best to solve the housing crisis has been at the forefront of the election campaign. While the outcome of the vote remains in the balance, it is a certainty that whoever takes residence in Number 10 will be judged over their housing strategy during their term in office.
