GERALDINE Smith's comments in the Citizen last week are entirely misguided.

The Housing bill will not achieve the outcome she anticipates. Rather, it will give rise to what economists term an 'adverse selection' problem.

What will happen is that so-called 'good' landlords will withdraw from the rental market in the face of the substantial costs involved in meeting the Bill's requirements.

This will reduce the stock of rental properties and increase the rent potential of those that remain.

Desperate tenants will be obliged to resort to the sector dominated by 'rogue' landlords who, being rogues by definition, will exploit these tenants by packing them into substandard (unaccredited) properties and concealing this fact through bogus contracts.

Sandown (name and address supplied).