But there remain far too many operating in the private-rented housing
sector.
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) has grown from 1 in 10 households in 2004 to 1 in 5 households in 2016 with the under-40s making up 70% of households.
More than four years ago, the all-party Communities and Local Government Committee (which I chair) reported on its investigation into the state of private-rented housing in England and Wales 1 . We concluded:
We have kept up the pressure on the government, particularly to act to deal with fees, substandard housing and rogue agents and landlords.
And, this month, we’ve launched a specific new inquiry 2 into concerns about the ability of local councils to protect tenants by tackling bad landlords and their practices. We’ll also be investigating whether landlord licensing schemes are promoting higher quality accommodation and the effectiveness of complaint mechanism for tenants. Find out more and submit your evidence by 24th November.
Meanwhile, last November, the government finally caved in and announced plans to ban letting agent fees paid by tenants. An official consultation ended in June. How much longer are tenants going to have to wait for the government to act?
1 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmcomloc/50/50.pdf
2 http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news-parliament-2017/private-rented-sector-inquiry-17-19/
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) has grown from 1 in 10 households in 2004 to 1 in 5 households in 2016 with the under-40s making up 70% of households.
More than four years ago, the all-party Communities and Local Government Committee (which I chair) reported on its investigation into the state of private-rented housing in England and Wales 1 . We concluded:
- there had to be better,
simpler regulation;
- all tenants and
landlords needed to be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities;
- councils had to be given
the flexibilities they require to enforce the law and raise standards,
especially in relation to landlord licensing;
- councils should be able
to recoup housing benefit and tenants the rent paid, when landlords have
been convicted of letting substandard property;
- letting agents should be
subject to the same controls as their counterparts in the sales sector.
There needed to be a crackdown on the unreasonable and opaque fees charged
not only by a few rogues but by many well-known high street agents.
- with the sector home to
an increasing number of families, the market needs to offer longer
tenancies to those who need them;
- we need action to speed
up eviction processes where tenants breach tenancy agreements;
- a halt to the vicious
circle whereby rents and housing benefit drive each other up; and
- action to finance new
housing-to-let.
We have kept up the pressure on the government, particularly to act to deal with fees, substandard housing and rogue agents and landlords.
And, this month, we’ve launched a specific new inquiry 2 into concerns about the ability of local councils to protect tenants by tackling bad landlords and their practices. We’ll also be investigating whether landlord licensing schemes are promoting higher quality accommodation and the effectiveness of complaint mechanism for tenants. Find out more and submit your evidence by 24th November.
Meanwhile, last November, the government finally caved in and announced plans to ban letting agent fees paid by tenants. An official consultation ended in June. How much longer are tenants going to have to wait for the government to act?
1 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmcomloc/50/50.pdf
2 http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news-parliament-2017/private-rented-sector-inquiry-17-19/
