Shelter's input into the Review of the Private Rented Sector

By: Elaine Jones
Published: May 2008

SHelter's Input into the Review of the Private Rented Sector

With the private rented sector (PRS) now providing housing for 12 per cent of all households1 we believe that there is an urgent need for a cohesive, strategic vision – both for the future of the sector itself and for its role in the wider, cross-tenure context. In this context we have used this briefing to highlight a number of areas that we believe deserve close consideration. These are as follows:

• Opportunities to learn from good practice already under way in the PRS.

• The case for national registration for landlords and letting agents.

• The need for further reform of housing benefit/local housing allowance.

• The implications of buy-to-let for the PRS and the wider housing market.

• The case for longer-term tenancies in the PRS.

• Additional opportunities to improve tenants’ renting experience.

Mindful that any written contribution to the review should be brief, we have chosen to focus only on these areas.