Landlords have a “critical role” in creating a healthier housing market, according to a new think tank report into the housing supply crisis.
Published by the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission, the report looks across various areas of the challenges facing housing delivery.
Entitled, ‘Beyond the permacrisis - delivering 1000 homes a day’, the report sets out 15 steps to progress towards the government’s target of delivering 1.5m new homes over this parliament.
Specific to the BTL industry, one of the recommendations is to “recognise the importance of rental tenures” and to support a greater mix of these as a result.
In making this recommendation, the report cites that historically renting has been perceived as “second class” with the majority of policies focusing on home ownership.
The report added: “Both institutional and private landlords have a critical role in the housing market and should be engaged with on an equal basis to volume housebuilders.
“The spectrum of housing providers has diversified significantly and all providers can make an important contribution to tackling the housing crisis.”
With this, the report also recognised the greater financial pressure many private landlords face through new regulations.
This includes greater support for landlords given the Renters Rights Reform Bill which some in the BTL industry have criticised for putting too much control in the hands of tenants.
The report argued there needs to be a “level playing field” and added: The commission supports the NRLA in calling for the government to publish a plan alongside the Renters’ Rights (Reform) Bill which outlines a clear set of standards that tenants and landlords should rightly expect from the justice system and a route map explaining how to achieve them.”
Making an argument for landlords, the report also backs the British Property Federation’s recent call on the government to place increased focus on sites that can deliver a mix of tenures.
The NRLA has welcomed the report, with the group’s CEO Ben Beadle warning that renters are also suffering from the UK’s “chronic shortage” of homes.
“As the commission notes, both institutional and private landlords have a critical role to play in meeting the country’s housing needs,” said Ben.
“The government should also accept the commission’s call for a plan to improve the justice system alongside the renters’ rights bill. Ministers have pledged to ensure the courts are ready for the changes in the Bill. It’s time for clarity about what ‘ready’ means for the sake of tenants and responsible landlords.”
