Housing insecurity in the private rented sector in England: policy implications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PN730 

A 2022 government white paper titled “A fairer private rented sector” focused on insecurity in the private rented sector (PRS). PRS insecurity is characterised by unaffordability and linked to wider undersupply of housing and rent inflation outpacing income. The government put forward plans for PRS reform in the Renters (Reform) Bill, which fell following the dissolution of parliament in May 2024. 

Following the general election, the July 2024 King’s Speech included plans for a Renters’ Rights Bill. The Renters’ Rights Bill aims “to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no-fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession”. The bill had its first reading in the Commons on 11 September 2024. Second reading is due on 9 October 2024. 

This POSTnote outlines current and proposed future legislation for addressing housing insecurity in the PRS in England, as well as policy opportunities and challenges. The full report includes evidence-based analysis of issues related to the Renters’ Rights Bill and a detailed summary table of past relevant housing legislation in England in the past fifty years, accompanied by stakeholder analysis of its impacts on housing insecurity. 

Readers may find it helpful to first read our accompanying briefing Housing insecurity in the private rented sector in England: drivers and impacts (PN 729), which outlines the research evidence for the extent and nature of housing insecurity in the PRS, including how insecurity is related to PRS supply and demand. It also outlines risk factors and impacts on landlords, tenants, and their households. 

Key points 

• Housing policy developments have affected PRS growth and renters’ experiences of housing insecurity in England. Wider policy, including welfare reform, and homelessness policy, can also have unintended consequences and exacerbate insecurity. 

• Proposed changes under the Renters’ Rights Bill include abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions, applying new health, safety, and quality requirements, and introducing new dispute resolution processes with greater enforcement powers for local authorities. 

• Challenges for enforcing PRS standards include limited resources for local authorities, tenant reluctance to disclose issues, complex regulations that can be difficult for landlords to follow, and covert illegal landlord activity. 

• Commentators have proposed several policy options to tackle insecurity, including regulatory reform, increasing the availability of social housing, rent regulation, and improving the affordability and/or quality of PRS properties. They also suggest giving more support to tenants and landlords, including providing information about tenant rights.  

Acknowledgements

POST is grateful to Xavier McNally for researching this briefing, to the Nuffield Foundation for funding his parliamentary fellowship, and to all contributors and reviewers. For further information on this subject, please contact the co-author, Dr Clare Lally.  

POSTnotes are based on literature reviews and interviews with a range of stakeholders and are externally peer-reviewed. POST would like to thank interviewees and peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time during the preparation of this briefing, including: 

Members of the POST board* 

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government* 

Department for Work and Pensions* 

Nuffield Foundation* 

Dr Amy Clair, University of Adelaide, and University of Essex* 

Josh Davies, Nationwide Foundation* 

Tom Darling, Renters Reform Coalition 

Hannah Fairbrother, University of Sheffield* 

Ken Gibb, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence 

Thomas Grounds, Grainger PLC* 

Emma Hock, University of Sheffield* 

Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom 

Jenny Lamb, Shelter* 

Gill Leng, Consultant* 

Sam Lister, Chartered Institute of Housing* 

Alex Marsh, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence* 

Katie Morris, Durham University* 

Julie Rugg, University of York 

George Williams, Work Foundation* 

Dan Wilson Craw, Generation Rent* 

James Wood, National Residential Landlords Association 

*denotes people and organisations who acted as external reviewers of the briefing.