Deep Insight
Private Rented Sector trends
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 and the General Election: How might landlords vote?
In the first quarter of 2024 landlords were asked how they would decide how to vote. How important would party-policies towards the PRS be in getting the "landlord vote"? With the election suddenly looming, this post outlines the policy areas which may sway the votes of landlords.
Navigating Universal Credit: Insights from landlords on DWP processes
This blog post takes a closer look at the Quarter 1 2024 consultation on Universal Credit. It explores whether the process of dealing with the DWP is becoming more manageable and identifies any ongoing concerns with the administration of direct payments. Are improvements evident, or do significant challenges persist for landlords and their tenants?
English Housing Survey 2022-23: key points
Each year the English Housing Survey (EHS) publishes data on housing and housing conditions across all tenures. The most recent data (2022-23) provides a picture of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) as a tenure. Researchers, journalists and policy makers rely on the EHS as a key source of information. This post provides a snapshot of the information available on the sector.
Rent-to-Rent agreements - landlords urge caution
Rent-to-Rent agreements provide an alternative property letting model to the more typical approaches to renting. Whilst these arrangements can work for all where a rent-to-rent operator acts lawfully and manages the tenancy properly, they can be open to rogue operators. The NRLA recently asked members about their experiences of using Rent-to-Rent agreements. This blog post sets out some key findings.
Limited company status: current trends
The NRLA quarterly consultation programme gives an opportunity to track longer term trends in the PRS. One such trend has been the growth in the use of limited company status as the vehicle in which residential, rental property is held. Recently however this growth has stalled. This post investigates limited company status in more detail, linking recent trends to landlord confidence and investment.