A boost to the private rented sector has been promised by housing minister Gavin Barwell ahead of the release of the government’s housing white paper tomorrow (7 February).
The white paper will include measures to encourage institutional investment in the sector as well as “longer more secure tenancies”, Barwell told ITV’s Peston on Sunday.
He admitted there was a “change in tone” from government around home ownership, which has been the hallmark of the Conservative government since the era of Margaret Thatcher.
Barwell (left) said: “Most people want to own their own home and the government should be doing everything it can to help them do that.
“But there are some people that cannot afford to own and there are others who actually want to rent for the flexibility that comes with that and we have got to have something to say to them too.”
MeaThe British Property Federation has called for a codification of build to rent so that it is a recognised tenure in local plans.
The industry has also campaigned for a national provision to exempt starter homes policy from build to rent schemes, allowing them to be delivered off site. This policy is already active in London.
A BPF spokesman said: “For the regions, which is where most growth has come of late, if starter homes policy was applied to build-to-rent, this would severely constrain the sector’s growth.
“The affordable housing that works best with build-to-rent is discounted market rent and this has been what we have been advocating.”
RICS head of policy Jeremy Blackburn (right) welcomed measures to support the sector. However, he warned government not to forget about individual landlords who drive the rental market.
He would like to see a reversal of the 3% stamp duty surcharge which “turned so many smaller landlords away from a crucial sector for our country”.
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