NRLA urges Commons Committee: Make the private rented sector work for all
This week, NRLA chief executive, Ben Beadle, appeared before the Work and Pensions Select Committee, calling on the Government to take bold, practical steps to support both vulnerable tenants and responsible landlords.
The session covered topics ranging from the impact of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) freezes on the private rented sector (PRS) to minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES), and the Renters’ Rights Bill, as well as housing standards, with Ben making clear throughout the session that government needs to support good landlords to provide secure, quality housing for tenants.
Ben made a powerful case for restoring LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, describing it as a “political choice” to support the most vulnerable households. Citing evidence from the Resolution Foundation, he told the Committee this move could lift 75,000 children out of poverty. The call was supported by Cllr Adam Hug of the Local Government Association (LGA), who highlighted that just 2.5% of private rented homes across England are affordable within current LHA rates, leaving many low-income renters priced out of the sector.
Renters’ Rights Bill – practical concerns
Asked about the Renters’ Rights Bill by Committee member, John Milne MP, Ben welcomed some measures in principle, including a Decent Homes Standard for the PRS, the extension of Awaab’s Law and the creation of a new PRS database. However, he warned that without certain changes to the Bill, it is likely to backfire.
Ben voiced strong concerns about proposed changes to the mandatory arrears ground (Ground 8), specifically the caveat that would block landlords from using the Ground if any amount of arrears is due to a delayed Universal Credit (UC) payment.
Landlords are not legally entitled to know when a tenant is in receipt of UC, meaning they could make a claim for possession, only to discover in court that they cannot make use of the Ground. Ben stated that such situations would be a “nonsense” and would needlessly increase pressure on the courts with hearings that have no chance of a possession order being granted.
Driving up standards
Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Florence Eshalomi MP, who had been invited to attend the session, quizzed Ben on what the NRLA is doing to raise standards in the sector.
Ben highlighted that in the last week alone, our landlord support team had helped over 4,000 landlords with queries and reiterated our support to elevate standards and stamp out bad practice. However, he stressed that government policy must also reward responsible landlords, creating an environment that incentivises investment rather than driving it away.
Moving forward, we will continue to campaign for realistic LHA reform, push for sensible amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill and engage with parliamentarians to ensure reforms are fair, workable and supportive of the PRS as a whole.
You can watch Ben’s evidence session in full here.
Join our upcoming webinar on the Renters’ Rights Bill’s Report stage here.
