New regulations announced by the Tenant Services Authority, that come into force in April 2010, will make landlords work closer with their tenants in a bid to make them more accountable for the services they provide, according to Landlord Assist.

Landlords that don’t adhere to the new regulations could face fines or be faced with having the property management passed onto another company.

Graham Kinnear, Landlord Assist’s managing director, said: “Already there are clear anomalies in the way that landlord and tenant law works. Examples include the fact that a tenant needs to give one months notice to vacate the property yet the landlord is obliged to give the tenant two months notice. Landlords are also prohibited from evicting a tenant without a court order even though they may be out of pocket due to a tenant ceasing to pay the rent.

“Rafts of policy and legislation, which require the landlord to do even more than currently required , are in our view, unnecessary. It may well discourage landlords from entering the market, thereby reducing the choice and quality of rental accommodation available.”

Housing minister, John Healey, stated that the new regulations would help ensure landlords got repairs done right first time, enable tenants to have a say in the management of the property and help prevent antisocial behaviour.