Renting is not second-best

The National Landlords Association (NLA), the UK's leading representative body for landlords, has urged the private-rented sector to work harder to dispel the myth of rented housing as second-best.

Broadly welcoming a select committee report into the supply of rented housing, the NLA is pleased that the needs and aspirations of those who rent have now been acknowledged. For a very wide range of reasons, not every person wants to buy and live in their own home and renting a decent and affordable property is not the second-best option.

However, the NLA was concerned that the report failed to recognise the importance of local authorities to use their wide-ranging powers to tackle rogue landlords and sub-standard housing in the sector. Far from needing further regulation, professional landlords should be able to rely on their local councils to identify and clamp down on both bad landlords and tenants who give the whole sector a bad name.

David Salusbury, Chairman, NLA, commenting on this report, said: "Rented housing should not be seen as second-best. According to Government figures, 81 per cent of tenants are on good terms with their landlords and it is good to see that the significant contribution landlords make to the housing mix has once more been acknowledged.

"Where people are suffering at the hands of irresponsible rogue landlords in sub-standard rental accommodation, local authorities should be using the existing statutory powers they have in order to force the necessary improvements to be made."