ARLA Propertymark (the Association of Residential Letting Agents) has welcomed the launch of a new inquiry into the private rental sector.
Letting Agents Welcome New Inquiry into Private Rental Sector
The Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) will look into whether councils have adequate powers to tackle rogue landlords.
The inquiry, which follows a report published by the CLG in 2013, highlighting where the Government should take action to improve the private rental sector, will also look at whether landlord licensing schemes are promoting higher quality accommodation and the effectiveness of complaint mechanism for tenants.
The Chair of the CLG, Clive Betts MP, says: “With a big rise in the number of people renting over the last decade, there are real concerns about the ability of local authorities to protect tenants by tackling bad landlords and practices.
“Our inquiry will examine how local authorities can carry out enforcement work to deal with rogue landlords, as well as looking at approaches used by councils to provide private rented accommodation in their areas.”
ARLA Propertymark, one of the UK’s professional bodies for letting agents, has welcomed the inquiry as a “great opportunity” to review enforcement in the private rental sector.
David Cox, the Chief Executive of ARLA Propertymark, comments on the launch: “ARLA Propertymark welcomes this inquiry. This is a great opportunity to review enforcement in the private rented sector. For years, successive governments have introduced law after law with no evaluation of their effectiveness. With what appears to be a coherent strategy on the regulation of the PRS coming from the Government, it is an ideal time to review what has worked and what hasn’t.”
The CLG is now looking for written evidence for the inquiry by 24th November 2017, which you can submit online here: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/inquiry1/commons-written-submission-form/
Do you believe that the inquiry has come at a good time, and what do you think needs to be done moving forward?