Shelter "Raising the threshold to £9,000 is just common sense – it would remove barriers to the provision of much needed low cost rental accommodation and would help those struggling with mortgage costs."
Who supports the Raise the Roof campaign?
Property expert and TV presenter Sarah Beeny says:
I think the campaign is a great idea. A higher threshold will help struggling homeowners, reduce the number of repossessions and open up another source of affordable housing so I'm all for it.
NLA "The NLA supports the Raise the Roof campaign's call for the Rent-a-Room threshold to be increased to £9,000 pa. The scheme threshold has not changed since 1997, while the average single room rent has increased by more than 75%. This has resulted in the majority of landlords who let a room being required to complete a tax return removing much of the benefit of the scheme. At a time when household finances are becoming increasingly stretched, and there is an ever greater need for affordable housing, the Government should do all it can to incentivise potential landlords to let a room."
Zoopla "The Rent a Room Scheme was designed to help homeowners, but it needs to move with the times. Raising the income threshold is a common sense move that would encourage more people to rent out a spare room, helping homeowners cope with household bills and mortgage costs, as well as boosting the amount of affordable accommodation on offer to renters. Rather than encouraging homeowners to rent out a room, the current arrangement also discriminates against landlords in areas where the housing need is greatest - such as London - by piling on a tax burden. Zoopla.co.uk is supportive of SpareRoom.co.uk's Raise the Roof campaign - supporting homeowners even if household bills go through the roof." Nicholas Leeming, Commercial Director of Zoopla.co.uk,
LandlordZone "The Rent-a-Room Scheme was sent up as a way of encouraging home owners to take in lodgers. This is an eminently sensible idea as it not only encourages better use of the national housing stock and minimises the housing shortage, it also provides accommodation for, in particular, students and young singles, and it helps considerably with labour mobility. However, government in their wisdom have failed to see a need to raise the allowance from its 1997 amount of £4250, which in today's real terms should be considerably more. LandlordZONE fully supports the campaign to increase this now derisory allowance" Tom Entwistle - Director www.landlordzone.co.uk,
