In reply to Ashen Li’s comments (Your Say, April 22), I have in the past been a landlord, although not in the UK, and know the costs involved, which is why I still assert that a fee of £350 spread over five years is not a large amount, taking into consideration other costs incurred as a landlord.

I have also had experience of renting in London over 10 years, and know that some of the properties I was shown were not fit to live in.

Fortunately, I was in a position where I did not have to accept “just anything”, although it was not easy to find something acceptable that I could afford.

I am now an owner/occupier, so I see things from that perspective, and what I see is previously owner-occupied homes in our area becoming rental properties, and the deterioration of those properties.

At the end of the day, it is the owner of rental properties who pockets the capital gain when a property is sold, even if the actual rental of the property was not very profitable, and the owner should be responsible for ensuring their property is kept in good repair.

External work (painting, fencing), is not the responsibility of a tenant, and the up-keep of the grounds should be part of the rental agreement.

It would seem the existing laws are either unenforceable or not sufficiently strong to make any difference, so I believe something more is required to stop the trend of allowing rental properties to deteriorate, affecting whole neighbourhoods.

The licence scheme may not be the answer, but if it results in a comprehensive list of all private landlords, and is enforceable, it may go some way to ensure things do not get any worse.

It may only be a minority of landlords who are a problem, but they spoil it for the rest.

N SHARPLES
Croydon