FSB steps up campaign for new deal for tenants
by John Harrington
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) plans to lobby accountants and surveyors in the next stage of its drive to get a better deal for tenants following the publication of the Trade & Industry Select Committee (TISC) report into pubcos.
The FSB has also made a plea for pubcos not to wait until the publication of the Government's response to the report, which is expected this week or next, to make the changes needed to improve the plight of struggling tenants.
The FSB wants to begin its campaign once the Govern-ment's response is published, and will initially focus on the "dark art" of how rents are calculated.
FSB deputy head of parliamentary affairs David Bishop said: "We want to make sure surveyors work with fair, transparent guides and make sure tenants get the deal they deserve.
"We want to reach some agreement with accountants and surveyors before [focusing on pubcos]. That's our policy; to come up with a blueprint of how the rent review works."
Bishop said he intends to talk to trade bodies such as the British Institute of Innkeeping to express its concerns.
The FSB also plans to look in detail at the 350 pieces of written evidence that were submitted to the inquiry.
"If you listened to what [committee chairman] Martin O'Neill said, one of the tactics of pubcos was to inundate the committee with so much information that they don't know where to start," said Bishop. "We are determined over the next few years to hold pubcos to account." Bishop reiterated his plea for the pubcos to abolish the tie on AWPs, as recommended in the report.
"The pubcos should demonstrate their commitment to their tenants and should act sooner rather than later," he said.
"We don't think [waiting for the Government's response] should be used as an excuse for a delay."
The report must be published by 21 February. A spokesperson for the Trade & Industry Select Committee said they expect it to be released near that date because all 33 recommendations have to be responded to individually.
