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.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 of March 2026 to Question 115500 on Private Rented Housing: Repairs and Maintenance, what steps his Department is taking to encourage private landlords to bring properties up to the Decent Homes Standard before the 2035 deadline.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government encourages landlords to consider the benefits and feasibility of bringing properties up to our new Decent Homes Standard (DHS) at the earliest opportunity.
By publishing the standard now, we are providing a clear framework for landlords to do this.
We will begin monitoring rates of compliance with the new DHS ahead of the final deadline and will work with the sector to ensure that landlords are clear about the new requirements the DHS places on them.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to The New Decent Homes Standard: policy statement, updated 28 January 2025, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of the 2035 implementation date for the New Decent Homes Standard on incidence of illness caused by i) damp and mould and ii) other poor conditions in the private rented sector.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care works with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the links between housing conditions and health, including the risks associated with damp, mould, and other hazards. The jointly published guidance Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home sets out the health risks of damp and mould and the steps landlords should take to address these issues. This guidance is avaiable at the following link:
The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) is part of the package of Government action and investment to support improvements in the quality of rented homes, including implementation of Awaab’s Law, the Renters’ Rights Act, and minimum energy efficiency standards. One aim of these measures is to reduce illness linked to damp, mould, and other housing hazards.
The new DHS prioritises safety, decency, and warmth. The Department of Health and Social Care’s engagement has focused on the health-related aspects of the DHS. Decisions on the implementation timetable have been led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and informed by consultation with the sector. The Government expects landlords to begin taking action now to ensure their properties meet the DHS. We recognise, however, that it will take time to plan and deliver works sustainably. The Department of Health and Social Care will work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to produce guidance to support implementation of the DHS. The DHS is avaiable at the following link:
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - 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 number of local authority staff in England available to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
My Department is undertaking an assessment of the new burdens falling on local authorities as a result of their additional enforcement responsibilities under the Renters’ Rights Act. We are committed to funding the net additional costs arising. We anticipate that additional costs will principally be additional staff costs.
In relation to the number of staff currently in Iocal authority private rented sector enforcement teams, I refer the noble Baroness to my answer given to Question UN HL13226 on 14 January 2026
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil penalties were issued to private landlords in each of the past three years; and what the total value of these fines were.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
My Department does not currently hold the requested information.
We are in the process of implementing a new mandatory collection of private rented sector enforcement data from local housing authorities, which will include the number of civil penalties issued and the total amount of income received from civil penalties.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of civil penalties issued by local authorities to private landlords over each of the past three years were uncollected.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
My Department does not currently hold the requested information.
We are in the process of implementing a new mandatory collection of private rented sector enforcement data from local housing authorities, which will include the number of civil penalties issued and the total amount of income received from civil penalties.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many landlords exited the private rented sector in each year since 2020.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the information requested.
HMRC data on the number of landlords in England declaring income from rental property, which can be found on gov.uk here, shows overall stability in the number of landlords since 2019-20.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of existing protections against unreasonable rent increases.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At present, rent increases can happen through a variety of mechanisms including contractual rent review clauses and Section 13 notices. Tenants can currently only challenge a rent increase when it is carried out via Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988.
Once commenced, our Renters’ Rights Act will ensure that all rent increases in the private rented sector will be made using the same process. Landlords will be able to increase rents once per year to the market rate – the price that would be achieved if the property was newly advertised to let. To do this, they will need to serve a simple ‘Section 13’ notice, setting out the new rent and giving at least 2 months’ notice of it taking effect. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal.