Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to allow letting agents to submit data to the Private Rented Sector database on behalf of their landlords.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government expects that letting agents will be able to carry out certain functions relating to the Private Rented Sector Database on landlords’ behalf.
The detailed requirements and any roles that may be undertaken by agents will be set out in regulations in due course.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact on tenants of the gap between the commencement of the pet provisions on 1 May and the operational launch of the Ombudsman, including the extent to which renters may need to rely on the courts during this period.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.
In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Prior to the establishment of the new service, if a tenant thinks their landlord has unreasonably refused a request to rent with a pet, they will be able to challenge the decision in court.
My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact on tenants of the period between 1 May 2026 and when the new service will be available.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the expected timetable is for establishing the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman; and what mechanisms will be available for tenants to challenge unreasonable refusals to keep a pet before the Ombudsman is operational.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.
In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Prior to the establishment of the new service, if a tenant thinks their landlord has unreasonably refused a request to rent with a pet, they will be able to challenge the decision in court.
My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact on tenants of the period between 1 May 2026 and when the new service will be available.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its communication campaign in informing landlords of changes in the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In November 2025, my Department launched a multi-platform communications campaign to raise awareness of reforms to the private rented sector in England resulting from the Renters’ Rights Act. To date, the campaign has seen strong engagement and achieved a wide reach.
We continue to work closely with relevant media, and sector representative organisations to make sure we reach as many landlords as possible.
Asked by: Luke Murphy (Labour - Basingstoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms his Department uses to monitor (a) the impact of private rented sector reforms on the availability of housing for vulnerable people and (b) local housing authorities' assessment of vulnerability and priority need among homelessness applicants with severe mental health conditions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department collects data on the private rented sector through the English Housing Survey, which is published annually and can be found on gov.uk here, and through ongoing longitudinal survey of private tenants.
My Department also publishes data showing the number of households owed a prevention or relief duty where there are support needs, including the number who have support needs due to a history of mental health problems. This data can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to increase the rate of collection of civil penalties issued by local authorities against landlords for housing offences.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government engages regularly with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders in relation to how enforcement against rogue landlords in the private rented sector might be strengthened.
Local authorities already have a range of tools that they can use to support the collection of unpaid fines imposed on rogue landlords, including charging orders and bankruptcy proceedings.
My Department will continue to engage with local authorities and consider how best practice can be shared as part of supporting the effective implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of dwellings in the private rented sector in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each year since 2020.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Office for National Statistics publishes annual estimates of private rented sector dwellings in each local authority. These estimates can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the estimate in the Knight Frank report UK Multifamily Market Outlook, published in March, that there will be an additional 1.5 million individuals living in rental accommodation by 2050; and what plans, if any, they have to ensure sufficient rental housing is available for that estimated figure.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
My Department has made no such assessment.
Our £3.5 billion Private Rented Sector Guarantee Scheme was reopened in March 2025 to new applicants for another three years and makes loan guarantees available for Build-to-Rent operators to support housebuilding.
We have also announced that the National Housing Bank, backed by up to £16 billion of finance, will be launched in April 2026. Its detailed investment approach will be outlined in due course.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of John Lewis's decision not to build 1,000 build-to-rent homes, in particular the implications for the viability of the build-to-rent sector.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We do not comment on commercial decisions.
The government recognises the important role Build to Rent plays in the housing sector, delivering high quality homes for those who rent, and supporting the delivery of 1.5m homes in this Parliament. We are supporting the sector with changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and with financial support through our £3.5 billion Private Rented Sector Guarantee Scheme, £2 billion Home Building Fund, and the new £16 billion National Housing Bank.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many privately rented properties in Wales are eligible for the property‑value adjustment exemption set out in the consultation response entitled Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard of EPC C, or have a valid exemption registered, to be let. Government has committed to developing a property-value adjustment exemption for privately rented properties that are valued at less than £100,000. No properties are eligible for the property-value adjustment exemption until 1 October 2030.
Once the exemption is in place, private rented sector properties in Wales valued under £100,000 will be subject to a lower maximum spend requirement. Further guidance on exemptions will be published in due course.