The Renters’ Rights Bill will establish a database of all private rented properties and landlords in England – but the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned that it won’t help tenants unless it includes meaningful information.
The NRLA said gas and electricity safety certificates should be fully digitised so they can be easily uploaded onto the database, alongside already digitised Energy Performance Certificates.
The database should also include a signed declaration by a landlord which confirms that a property meets the requirements of the planned decent homes standard for the sector.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The database of private rented properties must go beyond a basic directory.
“It needs to provide tenants with clear, meaningful information designed to empower informed decisions on their next home.
“This will help tenants identify the vast majority of homes that are safe, secure and well-managed by responsible landlords.
“It would be a travesty if the database simply became a bureaucratic list of homes and landlords with little else besides.”
