New rented homes database must include must include vital safety information
The PRS property database - set to be introduced under the Renters' Rights Bill - must include meaningful information on safety and standards if it is to work for landlords and tenants.
Whilst ministers pledge the database will give 'assurances' to tenants, no detail has been provided as to the nature of the information to be included.
The NRLA has issued the warning, explaining responsible landlords need to be able to demonstrate compliance with all their obligations, whilst tenants must be empowered to identify the homes - and landlords - that meet all required standards.
What the NRLA wants
At a minimum, gas and electricity safety certificates should be fully digitised so they can be easily uploaded onto the database, alongside already digitised Energy Performance Certificates.
The database should also include a signed declaration by a landlord which confirms that a property meets the requirements of the planned decent homes standard for the sector.
Without this essential information, the database will fail to help tenants determine whether properties are safe and secure, undermining its intended purpose.
Ben Beadle, NRLA Chief Executive said: “The database of private rented properties must go beyond a basic directory. It needs to provide tenants with clear, meaningful information designed to empower informed decisions on their next home.
"This will help tenants identify the vast majority of homes that are safe, secure and well-managed by responsible landlords.
“It would be a travesty if the database simply became a bureaucratic list of homes and landlords with little else besides.”
More information
For all the latest on Renters’ Rights visit our dedicated members’ hub here.
Extra dates have been added for our new Renters’ Rights course, after training sessions sold out in record time. For more information and to book click here.
