NRLA in talks with Director General for Levelling Up
Rental reform, the proposed landlord register and the growing gulf between supply and demand for privately rented homes were on the agenda when NRLA CEO Ben Beadle met with top housing civil servant Emran Mian.
Mr Mian, the Director General for Decentralisation and Growth at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, met with Ben to discuss some of the major issues concerning private sector landlords ahead of this week’s Queen’s Speech.
Ben talked about the growing supply crisis within the private rented sector, with 62% of landlords reporting demand for homes was up. He also shared evidence, in the form of figures from consultancy Capital Economics which show the number of privately rented homes will need to increase by 227,000 per year to meet government targets.
He explained that while the Government is keen to explore build-to-rent options, the sector is not capable of delivering the volume of properties needed and that a vibrant, robust private rented sector, made up of small-scale private landlords is vital if the Government is to meet its housing targets.
Ben also used the meeting to call for clarity over the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) which are expected to be introduced in the coming years. The Government has consulted on plans to raise the Minimum EPC rating for rented homes to a C by 2025. However Ministers have yet to confirm the outcome.
Ben stressed landlords need to know if and when these changes will come in to properly plan any improvement works that may be required.
Positive response
He said: “It was a very positive meeting, and the Director General was very interested in the work we are doing around the growing gap between supply and demand and the research we have been carrying out with Capital Economics on the scale of the issue.
“We also talked about the NRLA redress scheme trial and how a successful scheme of this nature could replace any proposed register of landlords, a suggestion he was also keen to learn more about.
“He was interested also in NRLA plans for the development of a Property Passport, something which will form part of our proposals on the new Decent Homes Standard, which we will be publishing in full shortly.
“The passport would not mean more regulation, but would instead see landlords collate all documentation regarding each tenancy and related paperwork on safety and standards in one place. Tenants could the see at a glance if their landlords was fully compliant, without the need for new rules or legislation.”
During the meeting Ben stressed the NRLA’s ongoing commitment to working with the department on its plans for the rental reform white paper, due to be published this summer.
More information
To read the latest on the Government’s Renters’ Reform plans outlined in the Queen’s Speech this week click here.
For the latest on the NRLA plans as regards the Decent Homes Standards keep an eye on our news site and social media channels.
