Vast majority of letting agents believe the government is blind to PRS pressures

An overwhelming majority of letting agents believe the Government is failing to understand the pressures facing the private rented sector and wider housing market.

Related topics:  PRS
Property | Reporter
15th March 2024
Gov 777
"Given the delays, confusion, and rotating cast of Housing Ministers over recent years, it’s no surprise to see that the majority of agents have little faith in this Government’s grip on the challenges facing the housing and letting market"
- Oli Sherlock - Goodlord

In a survey of 160 letting agents carried out by Goodlord, 75% of respondents said they didn’t think the Government understood the pressure facing the sector. A further 19% weren’t sure. And just 6% said they thought the Government truly understood the challenges the market is facing.

This poll follows a lacklustre Budget where housing barely featured and ongoing delays and uncertainty around the Renters (Reform) Bill.

The survey comes as Goodlord launches an initiative to gather opinions from more than 500 letting agents. The research is part of Goodlord’s ‘Renting Done Right’ campaign and the insights will be used to call for better, more effective changes from the Government that will help the industry thrive. Agents can make their views heard by taking the survey here.

The Renting Done Right campaign has included coordinating an open letter with over 1,000 industry signatories and presenting it to Ministers, as well as lobbying for better rental reforms across a programme of events and meetings with decision-makers.

Oli Sherlock, Managing Director of Insurance at Goodlord, comments: “Given the delays, confusion, and rotating cast of Housing Ministers over recent years, it’s no surprise to see that the majority of agents have little faith in this Government’s grip on the challenges facing the housing and letting market.

"Landlords are under pressure, agents are contending with increasingly complex legislation, and tenants are fighting to secure homes. All stakeholders deserve more joined-up thinking and a long-term, bipartisan plan if we want renting to be done right.”

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