Deep Insight
These blog posts are written to prompt discussion and debate about the role of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in the UK.
The posts provide more detail on trends which emerge in our analysis of datasets in the Observatory. They also highlight specific topics and comments landlords make in our regular or occasional surveys.
Academics, policy makers and practitioners also make regular contributions to the blog.
Landlords underpin tenant debt reduction
In November the NRLA surveyed over 2,000 tenants in the Private Rented Sector (PRS). This is the second survey of tenants undertaken in 2021. The survey shows tenant debt has fallen as has the number of tenant households in debt. The survey provides yet more evidence that landlords have been writing off tenant arrears accumulated since the onset of Covid-19.
Why are landlords exiting the PRS?
In November 2021 the London School of Economics (LSE) published a report commissioned by the NRLA. The purpose of this research was to look at the impact of tax policy on landlords. This blog looks at former landlords and why they have left the sector. The LSE researchers found the key reason is not Covid-19, but tax and other associated costs.
Property MOTs: A licensing alternative?
The NRLA recognise the advantages adopting of a so-called Property MOT could bring as a replacement for the myriad of local licensing schemes. Using safety certificates, rather than local authority inspection, the MOT is seen as a mechanism to drive a uniform approach to standards. This incorporates current, necessary checks on gas and electrical safety as well as a range of less frequent checks such as EPC rating.
Family Resources Survey
The data collected to form this infographic is collected from the Family Resources Survey conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions. It provides a snapshot of the private rented sector, detailing some key demographic features of the sector.
NRLA tenant survey: separating facts from fiction
This post reports on the tenant survey commissioned by the NRLA in May 2021.The survey found three-quarters of tenants had paid their rent as normal throughout the pandemic.The post gives a tenant-based estimate of the arrears facing landlords. A substantial proportion of tenants are looking to move out of urban areas in the next twelve months.
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