Following the Welsh government’s publication of its Green Paper on fair rents and adequate housing, the NRLA is calling on those with an interest in housing to make their views known on the future of the Welsh private rented sector.
The Welsh Government’s consultation seeks views from stakeholders on understanding rents, behaviour, affordability and increasing supply and adequacy.
For NRLA members active in the Welsh private rented sector, this is the time to ensure their views are taken account during the development of policy proposals which will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper.
Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The Green Paper highlights the key issues as housing supply and affordability of rents in Wales. Let’s be clear, rent controls would serve only to decimate the sector further and would be a disaster for tenants, when so many are already struggling to find a place to rent.”
Labour in Wales voted against freezing rent costs amid a supply-and-demand crisis in the private rental sector in November last year.
Plaid Cymru had called for rent to be frozen and evictions banned in a bid to halt people becoming homeless over winter as a result of rapidly rising rents.
The call came after the Scottish government introduced a host of emergency legislation last year, including a temporary freeze on rents and evictions.
But Labour’s housing minister, Julie James MS, said rent freezes would have “unintended consequences” and that Scotland’s move has seen landlords leaving the market in rising numbers.
Beadle added: “The minister [Julie James] herself diagnosed the issues when she rightly rejected calls for a rent freeze before Christmas. The same reasons apply now. We all want to see more homes available to rent but adopting the tried and failed ideology of rent controls is not the way to do it. The best way is to introduce pro-growth measures to increase housing supply that will reduce costs for renters.
“Now is the time for landlords to get involved and for the Welsh government listen carefully to the views of those providing much needed homes.”
Interested parties can see the consultation and how to reply to it here.
