The government has indirectly given away early details of its long-expected National Landlord Register – but it still appears to be some years off.
In a job description for a new role called ‘Policy Advisor – National Landlord Register’ the government gives context to the new register, saying: “Significant reforms have already been introduced to improve the experience of tenants who rent privately. Part of the PRS team’s work [in the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government] is to ensure those measures bite and quality improves.”
It then says as part of delivering on pledges for ‘a Better Deal for Renters in England’ the government is “committed to exploring the introduction of a landlord register.”
The new job – which pays between £36,337 and £39,598 and will allow the candidate to have flexible working from home as well as being based in government offices in London and Wolverhampton – is split into two work streams.
These are firstly penalties and enforcement, and secondly data protection.
The streams will require “significant, detailed policy work at all stages of the policy cycle, potentially including delivering legislation … Lead and support stakeholder engagement, both internally and externally – representing the department’s views and position through the policy development process … work alongside departmental colleagues and a range of other Government departments to understand the broader context of the private rental sector and housing policy and ensure alignment with wider government policy.”
At the end of January the tenant activist group Generation Rent predicted – ahead of the Levelling Up White Paper – that a national mandatory landlord register would be unveiled.
This turned out to be true: the White Paper also considered landlords having to be part of a redress scheme and landlords having to commit to improving the condition of their properties, including energy efficiency measures.
The new job advertisement is here and applicants have until April 11 to get their responses in.
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