Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 December 2025
Letter from TDS Charitable Foundation to the Chair dated 25 November 2025 concerning housing conditions and renters rights
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Inquiry: Housing Conditions in England
Summary
TDS Charitable Foundation submits follow-up evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on the Renters' Rights Act (implementation May 2026), housing conditions, and enforcement. The letter emphasises three priorities: tenant education (69% of private renters unaware of the Act), design of the Private Rented Sector Database (drawing on devolved nations' experience), and local authority enforcement capacity (currently severely constrained). It provides survey data on tenant choice, landlord responses to higher standards, and rental bidding practices.
Key findings
- 69% of private sector tenants have never heard of the Renters' Rights Act or are unsure what it covers; 82% want more information. Only 39% recall receiving the Government's How to Rent Guide despite it being a legal requirement.
- Tenant education must use preferred channels: short written guides on dedicated websites (41%), email newsletters (35%), YouTube videos (26%), and printable leaflets (21%). TDS's 'My Housing Issue' Gateway is cited as the most effective format.
- Registration schemes in devolved nations (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) suffer from low registration rates and minimal formal enforcement. PRS Database should use UPRNs for automatic verification of safety records, include actual rents paid data, and require annual property/rent reporting.
- Local authority enforcement is severely constrained: only 37% of councils investigated energy efficiency standards; only 20% issued notices for damp/cold; only 2% of tenant complaints (2022–2024) led to formal enforcement action. London boroughs average 2.46 environmental health officers per 10,000 PRS homes—insufficient for current demand.
- Survey data reveals: 48% of tenants want to move but feel unable; 21% prefer social housing; 76% want to buy. Among landlords, 38% plan to raise rents if Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards increase; 32% plan to sell some or all properties. Rental bidding is reported by 21% of landlords overall, rising to 52–60% among those targeting vulnerable groups.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
TDS Charitable Foundation, Florence Eshalomi MP, Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Generation Rent, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, Climate Emergency UK, The Guardian, The i newspaper
Notable line
“69% of private sector tenants have either never heard of the Act at all (18%) or have heard of it but are 'unsure exactly what it is …”
Key Quotes
“The Renters' Rights Act, due to be implemented from 1 st May 2026, will only succeed if tenants fully understand the rights it provides and how to enforce them.”
“Just a third (31%) said they have both heard of the Act and understand fully, or in part, what it is about. When asked whether they would like to receive more information about how the Act will affect them, 82% of respondents said yes, maybe or definitely.”
“… an easy-to-use tool, tailored to their needs – empowering them to make their next moves informed and with confidence ."”
“Without robust enforcement or verification, the Database risks becoming inaccurate or untrusted.”
“Just 37% of councils conducted investigations to ensure private landlords met existing energy efficiency standards. • Just 20% issued compliance or enforcement notices for cold and damp. • 200 councils undertook no investigations into energy efficiency standards compliance at all.”
“This is insufficient even for current levels of tenant complaints.”
“Significant numbers are therefore living in the private rental sector not by choice, but by necessity. The significant mis-match between supply and demand in the sector is likely contributing to the poor overall quality of rental housing, relative to other housing tenures.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗