Landlords have 'critical' role to play in housing market says new report
Landlords are today welcoming a new report calling for action to tackle the rental housing supply crisis.
The report by the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission concludes that it is “crucial that not only those who are renters of necessity but also those that are renters of choice have the opportunity to live in sustainable, high-quality and safe homes.”
It continues: “Both institutional and private landlords have a critical role in the housing market and should be engaged with on an equal basis to volume housebuilders.”
The call comes as organisations including Zoopla, Rightmove and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have all warned that the demand for rental housing continues to significantly outpace supply.
The Commission, which until recently had been chaired by the housing expert Dame Kate Barker, has also backed the NRLA’s call for a clear plan to improve the justice system alongside the Renters’ Rights Bill.
It calls for “a clear set of standards that tenants and landlords should rightly expect from the justice system and a route map explaining how to achieve them.”
Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “We warmly welcome today’s report. Renters across the country are struggling due to a chronic shortage of homes to rent to meet demand. They need more choice. As the Commission notes, both institutional and private landlords have a critical role to play in meeting the country’s housing needs.
“The Government should also accept the Commission’s call for a plan to improve the justice system alongside the Renters’ Rights Bill. Ministers have pledged to ensure the courts are ready for the changes in the Bill. Its time for clarity about what ‘ready’ means for the sake of tenants and responsible landlords.”
