Cooper announces rental property review

Housing minister Yvette Cooper has said that sharp increases in buy-to-let buying and rental property-seekers have made the rented sector due for a review.

While many are satisfied with their rental property, a Citizens Advice Bureau report last year found that one in five tenants were in fact unhappy with the efforts of their landlords to revamp properties prompting calls for government action.

Around 2.6 million homes in England are rental properties, involving more than half a million private landlords, a figure that has attracted the attention of Ms Cooper and led her to commission an independent review.

Yvette Cooper said: "Most of us have rented a flat or house at some stage in our lives and the private rented sector is, at its best, a vital provider of good housing.

"But too few people are aware of their rights and responsibilities, either as tenants or landlords. We have seen a big increase in the private rented sector and particularly in buy to let. It is important we review the impact of this. "

The National Landlords Association responded by welcoming the review, claiming that most landlords were professionals who took their responsibilities to tenants seriously but accepting the need for further regulation.

News posted on 24th January, 2008