The National Residential Landlords Association says a controversial migrant scheme exposes the government’s contradictory policies on private renting.

Over the weekend the Daily Telegraph revealed that Serco, a private contractor working for the Home Office, is hosting an event next month open to landlords, property investors and letting agents with rental properties in the Midlands, north west and east of England.

The newspaper suggested that ‘full rent’ deals of up to five years would be available for landlords willing to accommodate migrants.

Serco itself says it’s seeking “traditional HMO’s, family property, former carehome, residential and student accommodation.”

However the NRLA has responded to the idea saying that it demonstrates the contradictory approach of the government to the private rental sector.

An association statement says: “The Home Office’s use of private landlords highlights the growing shortage of available homes and the lack of consistency between government departments.”

And NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle adds: “Whilst half of Whitehall is scrabbling to hit housing targets and find accommodation for potentially homeless households, the other half seems hell-bent on devising ways to dissuade investment in homes.

“If the Government is serious about meeting housing need, and growing our way out of the current crisis, then it needs to incentivise investment. 

“Landlords need the confidence that both the regulatory and tax regime will allow them to plan and to flourish. Without this the market will continue to stagnate, and demand will further outstrip the limited supply of housing available.”

The government’s most recent English Private Landlord Survey notes that:“Landlords in 2024 (31%) were more likely than in 2021 (22%) or 2018 (16%) to say that they were planning to decrease the number of properties/sell them all, with a corresponding decline in the proportion of landlords who said they would keep their portfolio size the same. The proportion of landlords saying they would increase their portfolio was lower in 2024 (7%) compared with 2021 and 2018 (both 11%).”

And according to  Zoopla there are now an average of 12 renters are currently chasing each home for rent, higher than pre-pandemic levels.

You can read the full story on the Daily Telegraph website here, although for some readers it may be behind a paywall: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/starmer-to-rent-homes-for-migrants/