Andy Burnham proposes compulsory purchase orders for PRS homes

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Andy Burnham proposes compulsory purchase orders for PRS homes

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has called for compulsory purchase orders for private rented sector (PRS) homes that are non-decent.

Speaking at the Resolution Foundation’s Unsung Britain conference in London, Mr Burnham set out his three points to fix the housing crisis.

As Mayor, Mr Burnham launched the Good Landlord Charter, which covers 50% of rented homes in Manchester.

Councils to purchase homes in PRS

Setting out his ideas, Mr Burnham claimed that with the right action, Britain could free itself from the housing crisis.

His first point included a new target of building half a million council and social homes by the end of the decade.

Mr Burnham then argued that councils should be given greater powers to tackle poor housing conditions in the PRS.

He told the conference: “We should give powers and funding to councils to compulsorily purchase homes in the private rented sector that are non-decent.

“You should no longer be allowed to rent out a home with the help of the benefits system when its condition harms the health of residents and drags down the surrounding community.”

He admitted it was a radical idea but insisted it was necessary to tackle the housing crisis.

He said: “Homes that were taken out of public ownership have been left in disrepair and exist to make money for absent landlords, while everyone else pays the consequences.”

His third point focused on accelerating a nationwide retrofit programme.

He claimed: “This will give millions of people better-quality homes with permanently lower energy bills, even possibly freeing them entirely from the worry of energy costs.”

PRS homes must meet DHS

Mr Burnham’s comments come as the government announced all PRS and social homes will need to meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2035.

Under the new standard, landlords will need to meet certain criteria, including that homes must be in a reasonable state of repair and provide core facilities and services, including a kitchen with adequate space and layout, an appropriately located bathroom and WC, and adequate protection from external noise.

However, according to government data, landlords will need to fork out £26.5 billion to meet the new standard.

Mr Burnham’s comments on fixing the housing crisis can be seen below from 15:00 onwards.

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Fears of landlord exodus raised in Lords debate on Renters’ Rights Act

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Fears of landlord exodus raised in Lords debate on Renters’ Rights Act

Peers have clashed over the Renters’ Rights Act, arguing “landlords are voting with their feet” and choosing to leave the market.

In oral questions in the House of Lords, several Peers challenged the government over landlords exiting the market due to the Renters’ Rights Act.

However, Labour Peers claimed the act will lead to better conditions for renters and is fair for good landlords and tenants.

Landlords exiting the market in even higher numbers

Lord Jamieson from the Conservatives tabled a question regarding how landlords, tenants and councils are prepared for the Renters’ Rights Act.

Lord Jamieson raised the point many landlords have chosen to exit the market before the act comes into force on 1 May 2026.

He said: “Landlords are voting with their feet, exiting the market in ever higher numbers. 93,000 in 2025 and 110,000 this year, according to the Black & White Bridging report.

“The English Private Landlord Survey reveals 31% of landlords are looking to reduce their portfolio and 16% to exit completely. Can the Minister explain how this helps those desperately looking for a home to rent?”

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, claimed the government has worked with landlords to help them prepare.

She said: “We know landlords need time ahead of the implementation to make sure they’re compliant with the reforms which is why we’ve published full guidance on the government website.

“We continue to work constructively with the landlord sector. Officials recently spoke to over 1,000 landlords and letting agents at a webinar organised by Rightmove and attended the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) conference to speak directly to landlords impacted by the reforms.”

Lead to better conditions for renters

Lord Harper from the Conservatives challenged Baroness Taylor directly over the Act asking: “Does she think the changes in the Renters’ Rights Act are going to lead to more houses being available to rent or fewer?”

Baroness Taylor swerved the question but claimed: “I think it will lead to better conditions for renters and it will remove some of the barriers that stop people from renting.

“We have banned rental bidding to level the playing field for renters and landlords will no longer be able to encourage prospective renters to stretch themselves beyond their means and can’t discriminate against tenants on benefits or with children.

“We think the work we’ve done with landlord and tenant groups means we have a fair system that rewards good landlords and tenants but makes sure that bad landlords are held to account for the bad practices they’ve had in place.”

You can watch a clip of the Lords debate below

House_of_Lords_11_02_26_15_07_35(1)

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New tenant dumped items next door?

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New tenant dumped items next door?

Hi all, I have a new tenant who’s been in for less than one month since January and just found out they have dumped furniture onto next door’s drive.

The owner is away and has sent me a message saying this needs to be cleared, as they gave no permission for the items to be left there.

I have left messages and rang the new tenant, but have received no reply.

Has anyone come across this themselves and know what to do?

Can I terminate the AST? Do I need to issue a Section 8 notice?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Chandresh

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Housing market shows signs of recovery but rents set to rise – RICS

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Housing market shows signs of recovery but rents set to rise – RICS

House prices appear to have stabilised, but supply remains constrained and rents are expected to rise, according to the latest RICS survey.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says that although tenant demand has increased, the ongoing imbalance between supply and demand is pushing rents higher.

The survey found that a net balance of +28% of respondents expect rental prices to increase in the near term.

Supply has declined

In the lettings market, the survey shows tenant demand edged higher in the three months to January, with a net balance of +13% reported.

This brings to an end two consecutive quarters in which readings were flat or slightly negative.

However, supply has declined, with the net balance for landlord instructions now standing at -24% and rents expected to rise.

The sales market in January 2026 saw subdued housing market activity, but saw some signs of positive growth.

According to the RIS survey, house prices at a national level appear to be stabilising, with the net balance for prices over the past three months standing at -10%, improving steadily from a low of -19% in October 2025.

However, regional disparities are widening, with price growth remaining strongest in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Upward trends are also being reported in the North West and the North of England. In contrast, London, the South East, South West and East Anglia continue to lag behind.

New buyer enquiries improved again in January, with the net balance rising to -15%, up from -21% in December and -29% in November, signalling easing downward pressure on demand.

Market conditions may be improving

RICS chief economist, Simon Rubinsohn, says there are signs the housing market is improving in the first few months of 2026.

He said: “There are early signs that market conditions may be improving after a challenging period, although activity levels are still subdued, meaning any recovery is likely to be gradual. While the strengthening twelve-month outlook is encouraging, near-term expectations remain relatively soft, reflecting ongoing economic uncertainty.

“Whether this tentative improvement develops into sustained momentum will depend heavily on the trajectory of mortgage rates and broader macro confidence over the coming months.”

RICS reports that expectations for sales over the next three months eased to a net balance of +4%, reflecting short-term caution. However, optimism over the next twelve months has surged to +35%, the strongest reading since December 2024.

Price expectations show a similar pattern, with +43% of respondents anticipating higher prices over the year ahead, the most positive outlook since February 2025.

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