Responding to the Labour Party’s commitment to boost housing supply if it is elected to Government, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has called on the party to do more.
Beadle said the Labour Party should help further the construction of more private rented accommodation.
He said: “Labour is right that the only way to address the housing crisis is a significant increase in the supply of homes.
“But this also needs to include new homes for private rent. With 25 would-be tenants enquiring about every available home to rent, tenants are crying out for new rental housing now.”
Beadle continued: “Private rented housing provides one of the best springboards into homeownership, whilst landlords are well placed to help bring the almost quarter of a million long term empty homes back into use.
“Increasing supply is the best way to improve choice and affordability, and doing so would substantially boost Treasury revenue.
“Scrapping the stamp duty levy on homes to rent would see 900,000 new private rented homes made available across the UK. This would lead to an additional £10bn in revenue as a result of increases in income and corporation tax receipts.
“The Party should accept the recommendations of the Labour-led Housing Select Committee to reform the tax system to support the provision of more homes to rent.”
