I see (The Argus, March 19) that the poor old private landlord is receiving a pasting again.

The whole idea of deposits being held by third parties is simply unnecessary.

In the vast majority of cases, the tenant gets his/her deposit back and, in a large proportion of those cases in which the tenant has complained, the landlord is found to have withheld the deposit fairly anyway.

Organisations such as the Brighton Housing Trust help tenants through the civil process and often fund the action so there is no need for criminal legislation. Landlords, however, have no such powers with regard to collecting their rent.

If we want to legislate, how about making tenants trashing their accommodation illegal as it is in Australia?

The only group really pushing for this is the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (Arla), as it wishes to push often cheaper and more efficient non-Arla members out of the market.

My experience of Arla agents is appalling.

If I was still in the property business (I am retired), I would take my chances and use a non-Arla member agent whom I had met and trusted.

If landlords want security, they should use an agent that is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as this is far superior to Arla and its agents charge no more than Arla ones.

-Johnny Steel, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands former owner of B & H Properties Ltd, Hove