Towards a fair and sustainable private rented sector

Seb Klier, Policy & Campaigns Manager, Generation Rent

Brighton Advice Services Network meeting, May 2015

• Public campaigns• Political lobbying• Media• Community

organising

‘Generation Rent’ 11 million private rentersNumbers have doubled within the

last ten yearsNow second largest tenure – more

people living in PRS than social housing

Huge mix of people, including 3+ million families

Young, poor and vulnerable?

51% of Renters are Under 35 13% increase in Under 35s in PRS since 2008 20% increase in 20-34 year olds living with

parentsLHA changesPRS eviction the number one cause of

homelessness

Renting vs. home ownership?

Average 1st time borrower needs 82% of income for a deposit

If average earners saved 33 percent of their net income, it would take them nearly seven years to put together the necessary deposit. In 2002, a person in the same circumstances would have saved a deposit in 2.5 years.

There are more than 1.8 million households waiting for a social home – an increase of 81% since 1997

The Tipping Point

What policies do politicians need to implement?Regulation of the PRS

Ending the culture of capital gain

Investment

Regulation of the PRS

National register of landlords Landlord licensing Licensing letting agents and banning fees Rent controls Mandatory longer tenancies for renters A ‘Decent Homes’ Standard for all housing

Ending the culture of capital gain and property speculationA ‘secondary’ housing market

Landlord tax on profitsBanking regulationCommunity-led regeneration

Investment and supply

Massive extension of the social housing grant through taxation

Housing investment fund, capitalised by tenant deposits

Planning reformOpposition to Right to BuyLifting local authority borrowing cap

Community organising and giving power to renters Generation Rent supports, initiates and

promotes community organising around housing Community organising can take many forms, for

example, peer support; lobbying the council; public campaigns; direct action etc.

Interaction with advice agencies can help these groups grow and remain sustainable

Can these groups work more closely together?

Any questions? Seb Klier, Policy & Campaigns Manager, Generation

Rent

sebklier@generationrent.org

07432 6545 290

www.generationrent.org