An article examined private renting in England and Germany. It considered why free market rents and weak security of tenure were perceived to be vital ingredients for a successful private rental sector in England – whereas neither existed in Germany, where the sector was very large.
Source: Peter Kemp and Stefan Kofner, 'Contrasting varieties of private renting: England and Germany', International Journal of Housing Policy, Volume 10 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Dec
Researchers examined the extent and cost to local authorities of 'exempt accommodation' – accommodation that was exempt from private sector rent restrictions. The cost of non-registered social landlord 'exempt accommodation' claims was estimated at £70-130 million above rent officer determinations, an increase of 85 per cent from 2003-04 to 2009-10. The lack of effective rent restriction by most local authorities reflected the belief that there was no basis to restrict even where rents were considered high, generally because there was no suitable alternative accommodation available for a meaningful rental comparison. Although the regulations were straightforward, their interpretation had became increasingly complex and difficult to administer.
Source: Michelle Boath, Eleanor Baker and Helen Wilkinson, 'Exempt' and Supported Accommodation, Research Report 714, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2010-Dec
An article compared the private rental sectors (PRS) in the United Kingdom and Australia. Achieving the objective of housing lower-income households in the PRS, as well as in social housing, would require attention to the institutional settings for the PRS in addition to the acknowledged need to nurture supply. The authors examined prospects for better co-ordination between housing and related public policies and regulation of the PRS, and for a move to a more integrated rental market.
Source: Hal Pawson and Kath Hulse, 'Worlds apart? Lower-income households and private renting in Australia and the UK', International Journal of Housing Policy, Volume 10 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Dec
A new book examined the origins, extent, and implications of the revival in private landlordism. It analyzed the rationales for, and ways in which, governments had sought to revitalize investment in residential lettings, and their success in doing so. It also assessed the extent to which landlordism had been transformed in recent years and the lessons for policy that could be learned from this experience.
Source: Tony Crook and Peter Kemp, Transforming Private Landlords: Housing, markets and public policy, Wiley
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Dec
Researchers made comparisons of the levels of rents paid by private sector tenants among different groups of households, using secondary data. A particular concern was to compare rent levels between those receiving and not receiving housing benefit, broken down according to their family composition and employment status.
Source: Stephen McKay and David Rhodes, Secondary Analysis of Low-Income Working Households in the Private Rented Sector, Working Paper 85, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Working paper
Date: 2010-Nov
A report examined whether the private rented sector could provide an affordable alternative to home ownership. It concluded that the evidence base for supporting large-scale investor involvement in the private rented sector seemed 'scant'.
Source: Michael Ball, The UK Private Rented Sector as a Source of Affordable Accommodation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2010-Nov
A factsheet examined the question of whether there was a market for extra care housing in the private rented sector; and, if so, what role it might play within the spectrum of tenure and care choices available to older people.
Source: Lawrence Miller, Private Rented Extra Care: A New Market?, Housing Learning and Improvement Network/Department of Health
Links: Factsheet
Date: 2010-Nov
The Scottish Government published a Bill designed to raise the standard of private rented housing. The Bill would amend the law on how private landlords were registered, and give local councils more powers to tackle bad landlords.
Source: Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Government/TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | Scottish Government press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A report examined what comparisons could be made between low-income working households and housing benefit recipients in the private rented sector. It looked at the type and cost of housing, how people accessed it, and the characteristics of the respective households.
Source: Bruce Walker and Pat Niner, Low Income Working Households in the Private Rented Sector, Research Report 698, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2010-Sep
A report explored the experiences of landlords and agents letting to tenants on the local housing allowance following its national roll-out in April 2008. Landlords highlighted a number of positive features of claiming housing benefit under the LHA rules, including greater transparency and simplicity, as well as the removal of pre-tenancy determinations. However, there was considerable strength of feeling against direct payments.
Source: David Rhodes and Mark Bevan, Private Landlords and the Local Housing Allowance System of Housing Benefit, Research Report 689, Department for Work and Pensions
Date: 2010-Sep
The new coalition government introduced regulations that would remove the blanket requirement for landlords to submit a planning application to rent their properties to unrelated tenants – known as 'houses in multiple occupation'. Local councils would only have to use this power where they knew high concentrations of shared homes were a problem.
Source: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (No.2) (England) Order 2010, Statutory Instrument 2010/2134/TSO | The Town and Country Planning (Compensation) (No.3) (England) Regulations 2010, Statutory Instrument 2010/2135/TSO
Links: Text of Statutory Instrument 2134 | Text of Statutory Instrument 2135 | DCLG press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Sep
A report examined whether the existing provision of social and private rented homes could be improved to meet changing trends. It said that more accommodation should be provided for the 'inbetweens' – households on annual incomes of £12-25,000 who struggled to meet their day-to-day needs and whose housing needs were being poorly served.
Source: Abigail Davies and Mark Lupton, Widening the Rental Housing Market, Chartered Institute of Housing
Links: Report | CIH press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Aug
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government said that it had 'no plans' to take forward the previous government's proposals for further regulation of the private rented housing sector, in line with the recommendations of the Rugg review.
Source: Debate 10 June 2010, column 446, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | DCLG press release | NLA press release | Citizens Advice press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jun
The Scottish Government began consultation on proposals designed to improve the standard of private rented housing.
Source: Consultation Paper on a Proposed Housing Bill: The private rented sector, licensing of mobile home sites and the twenty year rules, Scottish Government
Links: Consultation document | Scottish Government press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Mar
The government announced (following a review and consultation) new practical help and protection for tenants in privately rented homes. Written agreements would become a legal requirement for all tenancies. Information on the track record of prospective landlords in maintaining their properties would be available through a new national landlords register. Tenancy rights would be extended to more people living in shared homes on short-term lets – giving extra protection to around 150,000 more people including many students and seasonal workers.
Source: The Private Rented Sector: Professionalism and Quality – Consultation – Summary of Responses and Next Steps, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Hansard | DCLG press release | NLA press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Feb
The government began consultation on the contribution that the private rented sector could make to addressing housing demand and increasing supply, and sought views on whether there were any substantive barriers to investment.
Source: Investment in the UK Private Rented Sector, HM Treasury
Links: Consultation document | HMT press release
Date: 2010-Feb
An unopposed second reading was given to a private member's Bill designed to give tenants greater protection when their landlords faced repossession action. Tenants would have more opportunity to request a delay in repossession action so they had time to find appropriate alternative accommodation.
Source: Mortgage Repossessions (Protection of Tenants) Bill, Brian Iddon MP/TSO | Debate 29 January 2010, columns 1026-1053, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | DCLG press release | Shelter press release
Date: 2010-Jan
The government announced (following consultation and a research exercise) proposals to give local authorities new powers to help them manage the spread of houses in multiple occupation.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 27 January 2010, columns 54-56WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | DCLG press release | Consultation responses | Research report | Consultation document | NLA press release | New Start report | Telegraph report | Local Government Chronicle report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Jan