Government Proposals to Improve Private Rented Sector

I have previously written about the inquiry conducted by the Government into the private rented sector (see Private Rented Housing: Inquiry announced).

The Government has now published proposals in response to the inquiry, setting out the proposals for improving the quality and regulation of the private rented housing section in England. It has also issued a draft Tenant’s Charter to help tenants understand what to expect when they rent a property and how to take action over hidden fees or poor standards.

A copy of the Report containing 44 recommendations can be found here

A copy of the draft Tenant’s Charter, which sets out the basics that all private tenants in England should consider before and during their time in a rented property, can be found here.

The Government hopes the tenants will be able to request longer tenancies in order to provide stability for their family, avoid hidden fees and demand a fair deal from their landlord and letting agent.

A model tenancy agreement is provided within the draft Charter, although this is not going to be for compulsory use. The key to the draft Charter is “family-friendly tenancies” and to educate tenants so that they are able to have a better understanding, and access to information, about their tenancy.

The Government’s intention is that the new measures will attract new investments into the private rented sector, including the £1 billion Build to Rent Fund, a scheme delivering new build properties specifically for private rents.

Other recommendations (within the 44 contained within the Report) include establishing a code of practice for management of private rented property, introducing legislation requiring all letting and managing agents to belong to an approved redress scheme and guidance on the role of police and enforcement of eviction.