Propertymark responds to the latest England homelessness data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The data shows that the biggest cause of homelessness among renters is landlords selling or re-letting properties.
Tenancies are 40 times less likely to be ended because the tenant can’t afford the rent.
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, said:
“These statistics provide further evidence that the biggest issue facing the private rented sector right now is a lack of incentives for landlords to keep their properties in it.
“They also call into question the validity of calls for rent controls as rent increases are clearly not a major cause of homelessness.
“Letting agents and their landlords have been under attack for over a decade through legislative and tax changes. More challenges are coming down the line with the renters’ reform agenda, which looks likely to pave the way for the removal of Section 21.
“The UK Government must study these figures very closely and ensure further reform of the sector is balanced and includes policies to maintain existing investment and encourage more.
“This is the long-term solution to rebalancing the supply vs need problem which our member agents say is placing great strain on the market.”
