Housing standards cannot be separated from supply
If landlords leave the sector because reforms are unclear, costly or poorly implemented, pressure on rents will increase, and tenants will have fewer options. This is why reforms must balance stronger protections with a stable investment environment, realistic timescales, workable exemptions, and support for landlords and agents to meet new requirements.
Propertymark will continue to press for policies that raise standards, protect tenants, and keep good landlords in the sector. This includes clear guidance, consistent enforcement, proper local authority resourcing, professional regulation of agents, and welfare support that reflects the real cost of renting.
Regulation of property agents remains a missing piece
At present, there is no overarching statutory regulation of private sector letting agents in England, and no legal requirement for them to belong to a professional body.
We are pleased that, as part of its roadmap for reform of home buying and selling, the UK Government has published plans for an advisory Charter, which will set out expectations and behaviours for property professionals, and consultation will take place on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents.
Our ongoing campaign calls for minimum qualification requirements, mandatory Continuing Professional Development, a statutory Code of Practice, and an overarching regulatory body with the power to remove agents who fail to meet required standards.
Hazardous conditions remain too common
The Committee’s report reflects the latest English Housing Survey, which shows that the overall condition of homes in England has improved over the longer term, but serious problems remain. In 2024, 15% of homes in England failed to meet the current Decent Homes Standard. In the PRS, the figure was higher at 22%, equal to around 1.1 million homes.
The survey also found that 10% of private rented homes had a Category 1 hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and 10% had a damp problem. Damp problems were more common in the PRS than in owner-occupied or social rented homes, and private rented homes were also more likely to have multiple types of damp.
Propertymark’s evidence emphasised that these figures show both the scale of the challenge and the importance of qualified property professionals. Working with trained and regulated agents helps landlords understand and meet their legal duties, gives tenants safer and warmer homes, and makes policy aims more likely to be delivered in practice.
Decent Homes Standard: support, but guidance must be practical
The Committee recommends that the UK Government should introduce incentives for landlords to upgrade homes before the new Decent Homes Standard is enforced in the PRS from 2035. It also calls for stronger deterrents where landlords breach the standard.
We welcome the UK Government’s move away from a tick-box approach, including the removal of age-based replacement rules for kitchens and bathrooms, and the recognition of exemptions where tenants refuse access, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards exemptions apply, or physical and planning constraints prevent work.
However, the new standard must be practical, evidence-led and supported by clear guidance. Enforcement could become a postcode lottery without consistent national guidance, technical support for landlords and agents, and an early focus on education rather than sanctions. Incentives and support must come before punitive action where landlords and agents are trying to comply.
Awaab’s Law should be phased in carefully
Most professional agents and landlords already aim to complete repairs within reasonable timescales, but implementation could be hampered by shortages of damp and mould specialists. Agents and landlords will need training, clear reporting routes, improved management systems, and access to contractors who can carry out remedial works quickly.
The UK Government should therefore phase in the rules with clear guidance so that capacity can grow in line with demand.
Enforcement must be funded and consistent
A central theme of the Committee’s report is that too much responsibility still sits with individual tenants to enforce their rights. It calls for stronger, more proactive regulation and enforcement by local authorities and recommends a full assessment of the resources and powers councils currently must regulate and enforce standards in the PRS.
Propertymark has consistently warned that fragmented and inconsistent enforcement lets tenants down and allows rogue operators to avoid action. Our own work has shown that local authority teams are often underfunded and overstretched, leaving them unable to investigate complaints properly.
This is why properly trained agents are part of the solution. They help landlords comply, give tenants clear advice, and act as a vital point of contact in a system that is becoming more complex. However, agents cannot compensate for weak enforcement. Local authorities need sustainable funding, enough environmental health officers, and consistent standards to apply.
Selective licensing: targeted use is essential
Well-designed, evidence-based, and properly resourced schemes can help councils target poor housing conditions, but they must not become a substitute for effective enforcement of existing rules. Councils should work closely with local agents and landlords, provide clear information, and use licensing to target areas where there is robust evidence of poor standards.
