Skip to main content
Log in

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the privately rented sector of the housing market in England. The first section sets out some key features of privately rented housing in England that distinguish it from many other advanced industrial nations. The second section briefly summarises the main reasons for the decline of private renting. This is followed by sections dealing with the demand for private rental housing and tenants’ rents and incomes. The paper then moves on to the supply side, focusing on the stock of privately rented dwellings, the nature of private landlordism in England, finance and rates of return. The final two sections examine rent control and security of tenure legislation and current policy debates about the future of the privately rented sector.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ball, M. (1983)Housing Policy and Economic Power, London: Methuen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bevan, M., P.A. Kemp, and D. Rhodes (1995) Private Landlords and Housing Benefit, Centre for Housing Policy Research Report, University of York.

  • Best, R., P.A. Kemp, D. Coleman, S. Merrett and T. Crook (1992)The Future of Private Renting: Consensus and Action, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boviard, E., M. Harloe, and C.M.E. Whitehead (1985), “Private rented housing: its current role”,Journal of Social Policy (14), pp. 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bridgwood, A., and D. Savage (1993)General Household Survey 1991, HMSO, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carey, S. (1995)Private Renters Survey 1993, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coopers and Lybrand, P.A. Kemp, T. Crook and J. Hughes (1995)Private Renting at the Crossroads, London: Coopers and Lybrand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, T., P.A. Kemp, I. Anderson and S. Bowman (1991)Tax Incentives and the Revival of Private Renting York: Cloister Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, A.D.H., and P.A. Kemp (1996a) “The revival of private rented housing in Britain”,Housing Studies (11), pp 51–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, A.D.H., and P.A. Kemp (1996b)Private Landlords In England, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, A.D.H., J. Hughes, and P.A. Kemp (1995)The Supply of Privately Rented Homes, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, A.D.H., J. Hughes, and P.A. Kemp, (1996) “Housing investment trusts and the viability of private rented housing”, paper presented to theRICS ‘Cutting Edge’ Property Research Conference, Bristol, September.

  • Curry, D. (1995) “The future of the private rented sector”, presentation to theAnnual Conference of the Association of Residential Letting Agents, London, 25 May.

  • Department of the Environment (1993)English House Condition Survey 1991, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodd, T. (1990)Private Tenants in 1988, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • DoEHousing and Construction Statistics 1983–93, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doling, J., and M. Davies (1984)Public Control of Privately Rented Housing, Aldershot: Gower.

    Google Scholar 

  • Down, D., A.E. Holmans, and H. Small(1994) “Trends in the size of the private rented sector in England”,Housing Finance, May, pp. 7–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forrest, R. and A. Murie (1994) “Home ownership in recession”,Housing Studies (9), pp. 55–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamnett, C., and B. Randolph (1988)Cities, Housing and Profits, London: Hutchinson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansard (1997)Parliamentary Debates, Parliamentary Questions: Written Answers, 17 July.

  • Harloe, M. (1985)Private Rented Housing in the United States and Europe, London: Croom Helm.

    Google Scholar 

  • House of Commons Environment Committee (1982)The Private Rented Sector, Volume 1 Report, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp, P.A. (1988)The Future of Private Renting, Occasional Paper in Environmental Health and Housing, Salford: University of Salford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp, P.A. (1993) “Rebuilding the private rented sectors?” in Malpass, P., and R. Means (eds.),Implementing Housing Policy, Milton Keynes: Open University Press, pp. 59–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp, P.A. (1994) “Housing allowances and the fiscal crisis of the welfare state”,Housing Studies (9), pp. 531–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp, P.A. (1997) “Ideology, public policy and private rental housing since the War’, in Williams, P. (ed.),Directions in Housing Policy, London: Paul Chapman Publishing, pp. 68–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrone, D., and B. Elliott (1989)Property and Power in a City. The Sociological Significance of Landlordism, London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maclennan, D. (1994)A Competitive UK Economy: The Challenges for Housing Policy, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merrett, S., with F. Gray (1982)Owner Occupation in Britain, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milner-Holland Committee (1964)Report of the Committee on Housing in Greater London, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevitt, A.A. (1966)Housing, Taxation and Subsidies, London: Nelson and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Office of National Statistics (1996)Family Spending: A Report of the 1995–96 Family Expenditure Survey, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raynsford, N. (1995) “An overview of labour’spolicy on the private rented sector”, presentation to theAnnual Conference of the Association of Residential Letting Agents, London, 25 May.

  • Thomas, A., and D. Snape (1995),In From the Cold—Working with the Private Landlord, London: Department of the Environment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd, J.E., M.R. Bone, and I. Noble (1982)The Privately Rented Sector in 1978, London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead, C.M.E. (1979) Why Owner Occupation?,CES Review no. 1.

  • Whitehead, C.M.E., and M. Kleinman (1986)Private Rented Housing in the 1980s and 1990s, Cambridge: Granta Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox, S. (ed.) (1996)Housing Review 1996–97, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kemp, P.A. Private renting in England. Neth J of Housing and the Built Environment 13, 233–253 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02496778

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02496778

Keywords

Navigation