House of Commons - The Private Rented Sector - Communities and Local Government Committee

Communities and Local Government Committee - First Report
The Private Rented Sector

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 8 July 2013.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Summary

1 Introduction

Background: growth of the private rented sector

Our inquiry

Evidence and acknowledgements

2 Raising awareness, maturing the market

A simpler regulatory framework

Housing Health and Safety Rating System

Awareness and advice

Raising awareness

Awareness and advice: conclusion

3 Raising standards of property and management

Local authority enforcement

Penalty charges

Linking housing benefit to standards

Illegal eviction

Licensing, registration or accreditation

Selective licensing

Accreditation

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Safety standards

4 Letting agents

Regulation of agents

Government proposals: redress

Further regulation

Fees and charges

The Scottish approach

5 Tenancies and rents

Tenancies

Barriers to longer tenancies

Gaining possession

Lenders

Letting agents

Retaliatory eviction

Affordability

Placement of homeless households in the private rented sector

Out of area placements

Good practice

Local housing allowance

Data quality

Tax

6 Increasing supply

Institutional investment

Housing associations

Montague Review

Build to Rent fund

Housing guarantee

Task force

Impact on the sector as a whole

Other measures

7 Conclusion

Conclusions and recommendations

Increasing awareness

Raising standards

Illegal eviction

Licensing and accreditation

Houses in multiple occupation

Safety standards

Regulation of letting agents

Agents' fees and charges

Longer tenancies

'Retaliatory eviction'

Placement of homeless households in the private rented sector

Local housing allowance

Data quality

Tax

Increasing supply

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

List of printed written evidence

List of additional written evidence

List of unprinted evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament