Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the recommendation of National Audit Office's report entitled Regulation of the private rented sector, published in December 2021, what steps his Department is taking to (a) understand the barriers local authorities face in regulating the private rented sector and (b) assess whether powers are adequate in regulating the private rented sector.

The Department regularly engages with local authorities and a range of tenant, landlord and agent stakeholders to enhance its insight into the sector.

We have recently undertaken research with Sheffield Hallam University to better understand the experience of local authorities undertaking enforcement and the barriers they face. Overall, the research findings suggest that the powers and the enforcement measures available to local authorities are valuable tools for tackling poor conditions in the private rented sector.

The Department continues to review and develop its approach to building the most effective evidence base and we are currently exploring proposals for introducing a landlord register in England.