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.
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, whether mechanisms exist to prevent excessive rent increases during tenancies.
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.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of rent inflation plays on levels of in-work poverty.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
According to the latest ONS data, annual rental price inflation slowed to 3.5% in January 2026, after peaking at 9.1% in March 2024. However, the Government recognises the pressure that rental inflation places on the finances of working households in the private rental sector.
The Government is taking action to reduce levels of in-work poverty for families by tackling the cost of living. Thanks to decisions the Government made at the Budget, households across Britain will now save around £150 on energy bills from April 2026. We have also removed the two-child benefit cap, which will lift 450,000 children out of poverty and we have increased the minimum wage, so that those on low incomes are properly rewarded for their hard work. Alongside this, the Government is taking steps to increase housing supply and improve conditions in the private rented sector, helping to ease pressure on renters.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Local Housing Allowance levels on (a) Personal Independence Payment claimants, (b) Universal Credit claimants and (c) households placed in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) sets the maximum level of support for people living in the private rented sector and is administered through Universal Credit Housing Element or Housing Benefit.
The current LHA rate does not apply to households living in temporary accommodation. Their housing costs are covered in full by their local authority, and DWP then subsidises the local authority through Housing Benefit.
At Autumn Budget, the Secretary of State reviewed LHA and decided not to increase rates for 2026/27. A range of factors were considered, including cross-government impacts on homelessness and impacts on protected characteristics, such as disability, in line with equality duties.
This Government has taken important steps to support people with their living costs such as the Universal Credit Act, which legislates to rebalance Universal Credit by bringing in, for the first time ever, a sustained above inflation increase to the standard allowance for all claimants.
Renters facing a shortfall in meeting their housing costs can apply for discretionary housing support from local authorities.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK support on Ukrainian communities in (i) Milton Keynes and (ii) Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to understand the integration needs of Ukrainians and how we can work together to ensure positive integration outcomes in local communities.
Homes for Ukraine guests have the right to work and full recourse to public funds with access to public services, including housing, healthcare and education.
Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. We publish funding allocation data each quarter, which is broken down by local authority: Homes for Ukraine funding - GOV.UK.
Councils have the flexibility to use the funding to support households as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation.
In addition, MHCLG has provided £11.5 million of funding for language and employment support to over 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the STEP Ukraine Programme. The STEP Programme launched in October 2025 will provide intensive English language lessons and employment support for up to a further 4,000 individuals..
We continue to engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help tackle exploitative and non‑transparent sub‑letting in the private rented sector; and whether he has assessed the merits of strengthening redress for sub‑tenants who have been misled into paying rent to a legal tenant rather than the landlord.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Subletting a property is subject to the conditions outlined in the tenancy agreement between the tenant and landlord, and the agreement between the sub-tenant and the main tenant.
Where disputes arise, established legal routes and access to the courts are available to provide appropriate remedies.
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, providing tenants with more information about private landlords, and supporting local authorities to identify and take action against illegal subletting.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has given to giving the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman oversight of property management companies.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Local Government organisations on the administration of Selective Licensing schemes and how learnings from those schemes are informing development of the PRS database.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Selective licensing schemes and the Private Rented Sector Database have entirely different purposes. Unlike the Database, individual selective licensing schemes enable more intensive proactive enforcement strategies to address specific local issues.
My Department has engaged extensively with local authorities in respect of the development of the Database. We are considering all relevant insights they have provided, including their experience of administrating selective licensing schemes. We will review any learnings from this engagement as we finalise the design of the service and refine the way the two systems work together.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help improve the private rented sector for tenants in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A summary of the measures in the Renters’ Rights Act can be found on gov.uk here and a roadmap for implementation can be found on gov.uk here.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) already apply in the private rented sector, requiring landlords to ensure their properties meet at least an EPC rating of E. Local authorities have powers to enforce these standards. Under the updated PRS MEES framework, this minimum standard will rise to EPC C by 2030. This change will help tenants benefit from lower energy bills and warmer, healthier homes that are less prone to damp and mould, contributing to reduced fuel poverty.