Housing Quality Goals & Section 21: How can we achieve a Safer PRS?

The PRS currently comprises over 4.6 million rented homes in the UK, with 21% (966,000) classified as non-decent, highlighting the urgent need for action to ensure fair and decent living conditions for tenants.

Classic British crescent with restored Victorian red brick houses on a local road with small garden in front

Agents play a vital role in supporting landlords to meet their obligations, but how do you navigate the ever-changing regulations while ensuring their properties meet necessary standards? Plus, how can you support positive tenant-landlord relationships amidst all these challenges?

Sián Hemming-Metcalfe will navigate you through these important topics, identify challenges, and explore solutions, including:

  • Tenant challenges: Affordability and access to quality housing
  • Agent challenges: Maintenance responsibilities and regulatory compliance

She will also shed light on the current landscape of rental market trends, rental prices and housing availability, housing quality challenges, substandard living conditions and lack of affordable options.

The implications of Section 21 abolition will also be examined, and how that will impact tenants' rights and housing security, along with the challenges and opportunities for agents in managing tenancies.

And finally, Sián will explain how technology can support agents with:

  • Compliance tracking tools: Digital record-keeping systems and automated maintenance reminders
  • Interconnected solutions: Improved inspection protocols and investment in affordable housing initiatives
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InventoryBase: Property inspection software

Streamline property reports, reduce inefficiencies and make compliance simple.

Speaker

Sián Hemming-Metcalfe
Sian Hemming-Metcalfe

Operations Director, InventoryBase

Sián Hemming-Metcalfe is Operations Director at Inventory Base and a board advisor at ARLA Propertymark. With over 15 years of experience in property technology and compliance, she is a leading voice on risk management and tenancy reform.

She has worked extensively with letting agents, inventory professionals, and policymakers to drive higher standards and more efficient practices in the rental sector. Her latest white paper, Redefining Fair Wear and Tear – Adapting the Rental Market to the Realities of Modern Living, calls for a fundamental reset of outdated tenancy frameworks to reflect modern occupancy patterns.

As both a practitioner and industry advocate, Siân combines sector insight with a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach, helping agents navigate risk, protect landlords, and build more resilient businesses for the future.

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