The government should do more to protect private renters, according to a new report from the cross-party Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) committee.
The committee welcomed the government Reforms to tenants’ rights. But more action is needed to improve housing standards and protect vulnerable tenants.
The committee’s report, Living conditions in the private rental sectoris calling for incentives to help landlords meet the new Decent Homes Standard before the 2035 deadline. It also wants tougher penalties for landlords who break the rules.
The committee said Awaab’s law should be extended to the private rental sector from 2026. She wants legal deadlines for resolving serious hazards to apply across the sector by the end of 2028/2029.
Committee chairman Florence Eshalomi MP said the reforms could improve housing conditions. But she warned they must be backed up by stricter enforcement.
She called on councils to be given sufficient funding and powers to enforce the new rules. She also says the planned Private Rental Sector Database should help tenants check whether landlords and properties meet the required standards.
Eshalomi said poor housing conditions are linked to the broader housing crisis. She urged the government to publish a long-term housing strategy to increase the supply of affordable and social housing.
According to the report, tenants still bear too much of the burden in combating poor housing. Many rely on the courts, municipalities or the ombudsman. The committee called for an investigation into whether municipalities have sufficient powers and resources to enforce standards.
It also warned that new minimum energy efficiency standards could fail without proper enforcement.
The committee wants information about landlords, housing conditions and enforcement measures to be included in the Private Rental Sector Database. It also wants tenants to be able to report their concerns via the system.
The report supported wider use of selective licensing in areas with poor housing. It said ministers must remove the barriers preventing councils from using the schemes.
The committee also called for better protection for lower-income tenants. It warned that excessive rent increases could become a form of “economic eviction.” It rejected rent controls.
Instead, it said the government should ensure the first-tier tribunal quickly settles disputes over above-market rent increases.
The report also reiterated calls for the local housing allowance to be reduced to at least the 30th percentile of market rents. It said this would reduce the risk of homelessness and poor quality housing.
Commenting on the report, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “We welcome the recognition by the committees that most tenants are satisfied with their homes, and that the majority of landlords provide safe, decent and comfortable homes.
“The committee is right to say that improving standards will require a mix of incentives to support landlords to meet the planned Decent Homes Standard sooner than 2035, while improving enforcement to root out rogue and criminal landlords who have no business within the sector.
“We are pleased that the committee has responded to several of the NRLA’s recommendations on enforcement, including the need to better understand council capacity, improve transparency around local enforcement activities and ensure that the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database helps responsible landlords demonstrate compliance.
“That said, we fundamentally reject the idea that it should be easier for councils to introduce licensing schemes for landlords. Licensing can be an effective tool if used sparingly and in a targeted way. If local authorities are given carte blanche to implement it, this will only serve to duplicate the information that councils can obtain from a well-designed PRS database.”