Voices of Property: Media Narratives, Clickbait Politics and the Demonisation of the PRS

Voices of Property: Media Narratives, Clickbait Politics and the Demonisation of the PRS

Guest Blog Post

This guest blog forms part of our ongoing Voices of Property series and is written by Kristjan Byfield, co-founder of The Depositary and base property specialists ltd. With over 21 years’ experience in the London property market, Kristjan is a recognised industry voice, passionate about improving the way agents, landlords and tenants interact – particularly around tenancy security deposits. He is a member of the Zoopla Lettings Advisory Board and The Lettings Industry Council, and regularly shares insight on policy, practice and the future of the PRS.

Let’s get one thing straight:
If you’re a landlord or letting agent, the only time you’re likely to appear in the press is when someone’s pointing a finger.

It doesn’t matter that you might be keeping rent below market to support a long-term tenant.
It doesn’t matter that you fix things quickly, treat people fairly, or work your arse off to do things properly.
Because none of that makes a good headline.

Instead, the media thrives on a formula:
👉 Take a rogue landlord doing something awful
👉 Treat that as if it’s representative of the entire sector
👉 Let the outrage flow

Rogue landlords exist – of course they do. So do bad agents. But so do dodgy solicitors, GPs who abuse their position, and mechanics who cut corners. Yet no other profession is smeared so broadly and so frequently.

Meanwhile, we’re now facing the most significant legislative shake-up in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in nearly 50 years – but guess who’s still not invited to the table?

• The landlords who provide over 4.5 million homes.
• The letting agents who support tenants daily, often without recognition or thanks.

When we are allowed in the room, it’s often with an undertone of suspicion – our perspectives reduced to assumed self-interest. We’re dismissed before we’ve even spoken.

The Profits No One Talks About

There’s this idea being pushed – often subtly, sometimes blatantly – that profit in property is inherently immoral. That being a landlord is, by definition, exploitative.

Funny how we don’t say that about supermarkets, energy firms, or banks.
It’s fine for them to profit – essential, even. But house someone and you’re the devil incarnate.

We must confront this narrative because it’s not just wrong – it’s dangerous.
It demonises the very people providing the housing the state can no longer afford to. It undermines trust and collaboration in communities. And most critically, it drives policy that feels good in a tweet but fails in practice.

Section 21 and the Two-Percent Policy

The scrapping of Section 21 is a prime example.

The media tells us it’s about ending “no-fault evictions”. That phrase alone is a masterpiece in misdirection – because, in reality, most evictions aren’t “no-fault” at all. They’re for arrears, anti-social behaviour, breach of contract, or a landlord needing to sell or reoccupy.

All of which will still be legal after S21 goes – just under a different mechanism.

So what are we really solving here?

Around 85% of tenancies end because the tenant chooses to move. The remaining 15% are for legitimate, often necessary reasons – of which only a tiny proportion (maybe 2%) are potentially questionable uses of Section 21.

But because those rare cases get press, policy follows.
Because one bad landlord makes the news, every landlord pays the price.

When Policy is Written by Headlines

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it:
Too often, we now see policy by outrage.

Reactive law-making. Populist politics. Housing reform shaped by TikTok rants and Twitter threads, not data or dialogue.

We saw it with licensing schemes that burden good landlords but leave the worst untouched.
We’re seeing it now with rent controls creeping into conversation, despite all the evidence showing they hurt supply and tenant choice in the long run – not to mention, often drive rents up faster!

And behind it all is the same tired storyline: landlords = bad, agents = worse.

So let me say this, on behalf of the thousands of professionals I know and work alongside:

Most landlords aren’t wealthy tycoons. They’re accidental or small-portfolio landlords trying to secure their own future while housing others.

Most agents aren’t cowboys. They’re service-driven professionals navigating increasing complexity and pressure from all sides.

And most of us want a better PRS – one that works for tenants and landlords alike.

But we can’t get there if we’re not even invited into the conversation.

A Call for Balance

To the media: tell the full story.
To politicians: stop making laws for headlines.
To campaigners: challenge the system, not the people who are trying to make it work in the meantime.

Landlords and letting agents aren’t the enemy.
We are part of the solution – and we’re ready to help shape a better sector. But we won’t get there by being ignored, vilified, or painted as cartoon villains.

So, if you want real reform? Listen to all the voices. Even the ones you think you disagree with.

Because the truth is we probably want the same thing:
A fair, functional, future-proof PRS – built on balance, not bias.

Want to talk about how we make that happen? I’m all ears. Just don’t expect me to stay quiet.

Catch Up with Our Previous Voices of Property Post

If you enjoyed this post, check out the previous article in our Voices of Property series by Iain White:

Voices of Property: The UK Estate Agency Market Embraces AI, Fees & Change – read here >>

It explores how technology, evolving fees, and market dynamics are transforming the UK estate agency landscape – another perspective on change and innovation in property.