RLA comments on the report on private rented housing

 

Comenting on the recent publication of the University of York’s report on private rented housing, David Smith, Policy Director for the Residential Landlords Association said:

“We welcome today’s report which the RLA contributed to.

“Whilst the Government’s own data shows that 84 per cent of private tenants are satisfied with their accommodation, no one should have to face living in sub-standard accommodation.

“With RLA research showing that there are well over 140 Acts of Parliament regulating the sector, the problem is with the enforcement of these laws. Research by the RLA’s research exchange, PEARL, has found that less than half of councils have a policy on the use of civil penalties against private landlords.

“We are calling on councils to provide the political leadership needed to use the extensive powers they have to find and root out the minority of landlords who are criminals and have no place in the market.”

David Smith continued:

“We agree with concerns about the complexity of the legislation surrounding the market. Tenants, landlords and local authorities all need to clearly understand their roles, responsibilities and the powers available to tackle poor housing. For many this has become difficult to achieve.

“A root and branch review of all regulations affecting the sector needs to be carried out to understand if they are achieving what was originally intended. There is no point passing new laws and regulations if the existing ones are not being enforced properly.”

Source of information RLA

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

AI in estate agency letting agency property
Estate Agent Talk

5 Practical Examples: This is How AI is Changing Real Estate

There does not appear to be a single industry that is likely to be immune from the impact of AI. Therefore, it is no surprise to learn that seismic changes are happening in the world of real estate, thanks to the increasing influence of artificial intelligence. From using the technology to identify ways to save…
Read More
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

Overheating moves up the housing agenda

441,000 rental homes fail thermal comfort standards The latest analysis from Inventory Base has found that an estimated 441,000 private rented homes in England failed thermal comfort standards in 2024, accounting for 40.3% of all non-decent private rental properties, as major reforms to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) came into force on…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth slows in June

The latest Nationwide House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices fell by -0.0% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased to 2.2% in June 2026, up from 1.7% in May 2026. The average UK house price for June 2026 now stands at £277,484, down slightly from £278,024 in…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide House Price Index May 2026

UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March House prices were up 0.4% month on month Headlines Apr-26 Mar-26 Monthly Index* 554.8 552.7 Monthly Change* 0.4% 0.9% Annual Change 3.0% 2.2% Average Price (not seasonally adjusted) £278,880 £277,186 * Seasonally adjusted figure (note that monthly % changes are…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 30/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   8% of commercial real estate investors and owners have started AI pilots – the reasons why most fail Only 5% of CRE operators achieve most of their AI program goals According to JLL’s 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey of more than 1,500 senior…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

What the average asking price buys across Great Britain

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals what buyers can get for the current average asking price of a home, at approximately £378,000 The analysis shows that in some areas, buyers can find five-bedroom homes for around the national average asking price, whereas in other areas it is only a flat or studio that buyers can afford There are clear…
Read More