UNISON is calling on the government to regulate private rented housing effectively by bringing in a new statutory system and plans to build new houses to meet people’s need.
A new report by the Strategic Society Centre warns that the number of private landlords has doubled over the last two decades, and the number of people renting privately has increased from two million in 2000 to 3.6 million in 2010/11.
The report highlights huge wealth, financial and social inequalities between private landlords and tenants.
It found that the mean financial wealth of private landlords is £75,103, compared to £9,506 for renters.
It warns that the wealth of private landlords is stopping first-time buyers getting onto the property ladder and makes a number of recommendations, including calls to cap buy-to-let mortgage lending and ban landlords from buying newly build homes, in a bid to boost home ownership.
“Significantly increasing the supply of housing stock would make more homes available at prices that people can afford,” says UNISON assistant policy officer Sylvia Jones.
“Currently, many people are struggling with their housing costs, which are spiralling out of control due to the shortage of decent and affordable housing. And many more face difficulties in saving a large deposit to buy their own home.
“There also needs to be effective regulation of the private rented sector, which has the highest number of homes that do not meet the decent homes standard and where people face the most insecure tenancies, typically six months or a year, as well as the most unpredicatable rent rises.
“This is why UNISON and other organisations are calling for a new statutory system of private rented sector regulation, guaranteed minimum standards for tenants and increased security of tenure.”
You can read more about UNISON’s policies in our evidence in Housing Voice’s report To have or to have not: taking responsibility for tomorrow’s affordable homes today.
Whose Home? Understanding landlords and their effect on public policy (The Strategic Society Centre).
To have or to have not: taking responsibility for tomorrow’s affordable homes today (Housing Voice)
