An agency chain is urging the Tories to stop in-fighting at their party conference and instead increase supply in the private rented sector by bringing back mortgage interest relief for landlords. 

On the latest episode of Winkworth’s The Property Exchange podcast, chief executive Dominic Agace says: “The most acute structural problem is in the rental sector. It has become caught up in electioneering. 

“We are seeing rent rises in London of 15 per cent this year, with 10 per cent forecast next year. The lack of supply is caused by increased intervention by the government and tax changes. 

“A healthy rental sector is crucial to the success of a city to attract young professionals. We are hearing stories of families squeezing into smaller properties because that’s all they can afford. We need people to be able to be where they need to live for work in a place that’s suitable for them.  

“There is a move towards build to rent properties, which are institutionally owned, but these are not available yet to meet the current demand. We need the government to take some quick action and reverse the tax measures to encourage landlords.” 

He adds: “In-fighting has caused housing targets to disappear, manifesto pledges of 300,000 homes a year and national planning frameworks have all been watered down. Local authorities have been hollowed out through a lack of investment, with planning officers regional rather than local. Complex legislation, which leads to a longer planning process all results in delays to more home building. We need to simplify to allow more access locally to build more suitable properties.” 

Adam Stackhouse, Winkworth’s managing director of developments and commercial investments, tells the podcast that a planning enforcement team should be introduced immediately to increase supply. 

He comments: “A joint team from the private and public sectors could be parachuted into local authorities to fix these problems, with a 90-day turnaround time, to look at planning applications stuck on the shelf. The government should deliver incentives that offer up a fair land value. 

“Housebuilders don’t like sitting on land, they like to build. There is also an incredible shortfall in the social housing sector, with only 33,000 properties constructed in recent years, with a waiting list of more than a million.” 

The Tory party conference begins on Sunday.