Private rental housing review ordered
The government has ordered a review of rented accommodation in the housing market as both tenants and landlords complain of a poor deal.
Housing minister Yvette Cooper said the review would determine what problems tenants and landlords have, as well as assessing the effect of trends such as the boom in buy-to-let and student renters.
Nearly 2.6 million homes in England are now rented privately, with demand up in recent years as many would-be buyers are priced off the property ladder.
Ms Cooper said: “Most of us have rented a flat or house at some stage in our lives and the private rented sector is, at its best, a vital provider of good housing.
“But too few people are aware of their rights and responsibilities, either as tenants or landlords. We have seen a big increase in the private rented sector and particularly in buy-to-let. It is important we review the impact of this.”
The review will look at how supply and demand for privately rented accommodation are likely to change in the wake of demographic and social change.
It will also assess the issues facing England’s half a million private landlords, with many complaining poorer tenants often fail to pay rent.
And the Citizens Advice Bureau reports last year one in five tenants were dissatisfied with repairs, but often too scared of the repercussions to report private landlords.
The review, to be headed by Julie Rugg and David Rhodes from the Centre for Housing Policy at York University, will look at the quality of houses in the private sector and who is renting them.
It will consider how the boom in students needing accommodation and increasing number of buy-to-let investors has affected the sector.
Ms Rugg added: “Many people experience renting privately at some point in their lives, but private renting as a sector isn’t well understood. This is a good time for a review.”
The government has already introduced the Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme to benefit tenants and tightened standards for houses in multiple occupation.
