The Government finally published its long-awaited Housing White Paper today with no real surprises for estate or lettings agents.
In fact, the document didn’t mention estate agents at all, despite communities secretary Sajid Javid describing to MPs a picture of first-time buyer constituents “staring into agency windows, glued to them and dreaming of buying their first home.”
The 104-page White Paper, titled Fixing Our Broken Housing Market, says local authorities will be held accountable for the number of new homes being built and planning rules will be loosened, but the green belt will be protected.
There was little sign of a relaxation of the lettings fee ban, with the document highlighting the forthcoming consultation as suggestion of creating more fairness for renters. It said: “In the long term, building more homes will help with affordability, but renters often face upfront costs including fees charged by letting agents to tenants. Tenants have no control over these fees because the agent is appointed by and works for the landlord. This is wrong.
“The Government has already introduced transparency on fees. We will consult early this year, ahead of bringing forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows, to ban letting agent fees to tenants. This will improve competition in the market and give renters greater clarity and control over what they pay.”
The report said there would be more encouragement for institutional investment in the build-to-rent sector and it said it would make them and housing associations make renting more family friendly by providing three-year tenancies.
Measures outlined for buyers in the document seem to repeat previously announced schemes such as Help to Buy or the Starter Homes initiative.
Responding to the paper, shadow housing minister John Healey asked what the Government had been doing for the past seven years, he said: “This isn’t a White Paper, it is a white flag.”
It has been a long time coming as the publication of the White Paper had originally been expected in November, and then December before communities secretary Sajid Javid said it would come in January.
There has been speculation since the start of 2017 about disagreements and rewrites of the paper.
Comments (3)
In an effort to try and resolve the critical housing shortage for first time buyers and alike, trying to get on the property ladder in any town or city – the Government need to have its own architects/builders and not palm of sites to the likes of Barrett/Bovis Homes who seek to make profits for their shareholders. There is no way “affordable housing” can be provided when building firms pitch prices relative to market forces in a town. Until that control is taken back and they are in charge of everything from passing planning on a site to completing the build they will not be able to hand over the “affordable pricing” to those that qualify.
Perhaps you would prefer living in Russia!
Perhaps i’ll be surprised, but i expect this to be more like white wash than white paper