May's housing speech: why playing the blame game is never a helpful exercise

The Prime Minister also hit out at landlords stating: “Whether you’re renting by choice or necessity, you’re not any less of a person for doing so and you should not be treated as such. Tenants are all too often seen as an inconvenient commercial necessity rather than as individuals with rights and needs.”

And Mrs May certainly has a point. There are a number of unscrupulous players in the industry who should be dealt with. Indeed, it would benefit the industry as a whole to weed out these cowboys. But I think we also need to focus on the part landlords are playing in helping to address the housing crisis.

As a result of wage stagnation and the high cost of living at present it must be acknowledged that there are some people who are simply unable to get on the housing ladder. Landlords should certainly be providing a safe rental market for these people and they should be supported in doing so. The financial constraints hitting many landlords are a result of changes made by this and the previous government. And tenants are losing out as a result. If we are all to play our part in helping to create a safe and secure housing market, whether renting or buying, then we can’t simply be attributing blame to one sector and refusing to acknowledge any other issues.

And of course lenders need to play their part too. The increased regulation they have been subjected to over the last few years – not least in terms of buy to let lending – has severely restricted the help they can offer, but a handful of the most innovative lenders on the market are doing their utmost to help both first time buyers and second steppers and landlords to buy properties in order to offer the choice that is much needed in the housing market today.

We should be supporting those who are working hard to fix the problem – across all sectors – and while it’s right to separate the wheat from the chaff and to get rid of the people who are simply adding to the problem, playing the blame game is never a helpful exercise.