Shelter calls for 5 year rental contracts

Shelter is campaigning to give renters a fairer deal and greater security by introducing longer rental contracts, they are  calling on the housing minister Gavin Barwell to make five-year rental contracts available to renters. If necessary renters could leave such contracts early, but at least they’d have the option of staying in their home for a secure time period they say.

New research published by Shelter reveals the concern that families have with the present rental market, over the last ten years the number of renting families has more than doubled but the law has failed to keep in line with the needs of renters. One in four families now rent privately,  89% of renters told Shelter they thought short-term rental contracts are unfair.

On their Shelter Policy Blog they have listed FAQ’s ‘Longer rental contracts: How would they work? The leading question and reply: Why are you campaigning on this? The reason we’re calling for tenancies with five years of security is simple: they have the power to reduce homelessness and to make life more stable for renters, especially families. It would be a big improvement on the current status quo of 6-12 month contracts, and it’s been proven possible by the number of European countries with five-year, nine-year and indefinite rental agreements.

Read the Shelter Policy Blog  with FAQ’s in full click here.

 

 

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

Breaking News

Prime London buyer demand strengthens in Q2

aThe latest Prime London Demand Index by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that buyer demand across London’s prime property market strengthened during the second quarter of 2026, with overall demand reaching 14.5%. The capital’s family-focused prime neighbourhoods continued to lead the way, with Clapham, Wandsworth, and Chiswick among the strongest performing…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage rates fall at fastest pace in almost two years

Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. Product choice rose and the churn of mortgage deals was stable. Fixed mortgage rates dropped for a consecutive month, citing the biggest monthly reductions since October 2024, with the average two- and five-year fixed rates…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   How Prevou created the world’s most enthusiastic salesperson for estate agents   A fly on the wall analysis of how and why successful technology companies solve big problems for small estate agencies in the UK Every successful business starts with a problem. For Prevou, that…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Landlords and tenants advised to work together to get through extreme heatwaves

With some areas set to be hotter than Portugal this week, lettings and estate agents across the UK are issuing advice to protect properties ahead of extreme weather Prolonged periods of hot weather across the UK are placing additional pressure on homes, from overheating and poor ventilation to damage caused by extreme temperatures. Today, lettings…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Nearly half of UK home listings fail to sell

A London estate agent has warned that thousands of homeowners across the UK are pricing themselves out of the market by setting asking prices that no longer reflect what buyers are willing to pay. The warning comes after new analysis by Zoopla, covering more than two million property listings between 2023 and 2026, found that…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Lowest number of new build developments coming to market since 2017

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that the number of new build housing developments coming to market is at its lowest level since January 2017 The figures are despite the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament Higher mortgage rates continue to set a challenging…
Read More