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Improving the private rented sector: A guide for councils

This toolkit is one of three publications produced by Housing Quality Network (HQN) for the Local Government Association (LGA) on helping councils and their partners to improve standards in the private rented sector.


This report is one of three publications produced by the Housing Quality Network (HQN) for the Local Government Association (LGA). There is, in addition, a set of case studies and a toolkit. Although each of these can be used separately, they are intended to form a single comprehensive handbook. Overall, they form a good practice guide. The aim is to help councils to improve the health and well being of tenants in the private rented sector.



Each of the publications centres, principally, on (i) the strategic role of councils, (ii) consumer regulation (iii) enforcement and (iv) emerging issues.



The private rented sector has grown considerably over the last two decades. Nationally, it houses 19 per cent of households compared to 11 per cent in 2001. It has become an integral part of the housing market. Some segments of the private rented sector work effectively such as build-torent. However, poor housing conditions are, generally, concentrated at the lower end of the market that provides accommodation to vulnerable groups such as households containing a person(s) with a disability or long-term illness. Approximately 40 per cent of the sector comprises households in the bottom third of incomes.