Government plans for rented housing in Wales are being opposed by landlords after Shelter Cymru criticised the scheme.

The Welsh Government’s Renting Homes Bill outlines plans to tackle so called ‘retaliatory evictions’ – landlords evicting tenants because they complain about their property. 

Shelter Cymru warned that such proposals could increase rents and are unlikely to tackle rogue landlords.

It produced a report which stated: "In reality the transition to protecting tenants from retaliatory action may need to be managed in a way that gives landlords time to raise investment and minimises the likelihood of extreme rent rises.

“Rogue landlords will still be a problem. There is a risk that introducing protection from retaliatory eviction may encourage rogue landlords to resort to illegal eviction methods such as harassment or withdrawal of services. This is why it is critical that local authorities have the resources to carry out enforcement."

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has also warned that it will become a charter for lawyers as tenants and landlords get bogged down in costly court processes. It is instead calling for better enforcement of existing consumer rights regulations which make retaliatory evictions illegal already.

Douglas Haig, RLA’s Vice Chairman for Wales, said: “The RLA condemns any landlord who commits a retaliatory eviction. It is simply wrong.

“The Government’s proposals will do little for tenants and landlords. It’s short on detail and long on vagaries. It would simply become a lawyer’s charter for anti-social and non-rent paying tenants to exploit.

“There are already sufficient powers to tackle poor quality housing. What is missing are the resources needed to enforce it.”