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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote the take-up of the model agreement for a shorthold assured tenancy.

My Department is promoting both the model agreement and longer tenancies with bodies representing landlords, tenants and letting agents as well as mortgage lenders. We have also promoted and encouraged all local authorities to adopt the agreement.

The Government is committed to balancing the need for greater supply and better standards without over burdening the private rented sector with unnecessary regulation and red tape. We are expanding supply and encouraging more investment with the appointment of PRS Operations Ltd (a subsidiary of Venn Partners LLP) as the delivery partner for the Private Rented Sector Housing Guarantee Scheme. This will facilitate a stream of Government guaranteed investment in projects worth over £10 million. More generally, the Private Rented Sector Taskforce has facilitated aspirations to invest over £10 billion including 30 new entrants to the sector and, among other achievements, has facilitated a best practice design guide for build to rent. The Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme has facilitated investment of over £1 billion in over 9,000 new affordable rented homes through the cheapest long-term debt in the sector’s history.

To encourage improved conditions, we have increased consumer awareness and supported longer tenancies with a How to Rent guide, a model tenancy agreement, and an industry led Code of Practice for letting and managing agents. We have introduced regulations to force the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of three approved redress schemes from 1 October; made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area – building on £2.6 million given to 9 local authorities to support enforcement against ‘Beds in Sheds’; and supported measures to tackle retaliatory evictions in private rented sector.

The Government has an on-going communications strategy that continues to promote and encourage greater awareness of landlords and tenants' rights and responsibilities via social media, partner engagement, and other media channels.