Landlords need recognition for their role in 'solving the housing crisis'

The private rented sector needs to be given more recognition for the critical role it will play filling Britain's housing gap, it has been claimed.

Landlords are emerging as one of the only viable solutions to Britain's housing crisis, according to the British Property Federation (BPF), as the gulf between social housing and home ownership continues to widen.

The situation has been even further exacerbated by suggestions in the pre-Budget report that funding for hundreds of thousands of new homes could be cut.

However, BPF director of policy Ian Fletcher believes that political support for landlords has been "worryingly muted", despite due attention being paid in housing circles.

He said: "The events of the past 18 months have illustrated more than any policy document why we need a quality, thriving private rented sector.

"There is a tremendous goodwill across the sector and its stakeholders to move this sector forward over the next 12 months and we hope whatever hue of government next takes office will step up to the mark in its support for housing and the private rented sector."

Meanwhile, landlords' prospects for 2010 were delivered a blow today, following housing minister John Healey's announcement of new plans that will require extra planning permission to be sought for new shared housing where three or more unrelated people live together.

The National Landlords Association believes that this decision is to ignore "vital role" that such homes play in the private rented sector for low-income professionals, students and other tenants.