HLPA has made a submission to the forthcoming Parliamentary select committee inquiry into private rented housing. Submissions were asked to address the following:
– the quality of private rented housing, and steps that can be taken to ensure that all housing in the sector is of an acceptable standard;
– levels of rent within the private rented sector – including the possibility of rent control and the interaction between housing benefit and rents;
– regulation of landlords, and steps that can be taken to deal with rogue landlords;
– regulation of letting agents, including agents’ fees and charges;
– the regulation of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), including the operation of discretionary licensing schemes imposed by a local authority for a category of HMO in its area;
– tenancy agreements and length and security of tenure; and
– how local authorities are discharging their homelessness duty by being able to place homeless households in private sector housing
HLPA’s submission can be downloaded here, and the appendix to the submission, from here.