New report criticises state of UK rented property

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by Kay Murchie

A new report from the Law Commission has stated that a significant minority of privately rented property in the UK market is in a poor condition and is poorly managed.

In addition, the law does not operate as it is meant to do so and as a result is pushing the market into a state of disrepair.

These are the findings of the third and last part in a series on housing law reform the Commission, called Housing: Encouraging Responsible Letting.

As a result, the Law Commission has put forward suggestions for the better regulation of the private rented sector hoping that living standards can be improved.

The proposals include for a housing standards monitor to be created (for each of England and Wales) for the private rented sector.

Furthermore it is proposed that an associated stakeholder board be set up to which representatives of all sides of the private residential rented property sector are appointed.

Professor Martin Partington, the commission’s special consultant on housing law, said it is hoped that our proposals will benefit landlords and tenants in order to enable them to use existing legal processes more productively and thereby more fully realising the intended impact of housing legislation.

Not only would these reforms improve rental conditions for tenants, but also help to build the reputation and professionalism of landlords, concluded Professor Partington.