Today, we’re proud to announce the launch the Private Renting Knowledge Hub – a significant new research programme building long-term, system-wide change for the private rented sector across the UK.
When it comes to the private rented sector (PRS), some things are well known. The PRS is a central part of our housing system, and the way it runs has fundamental effects on the 11 million people who call it home. It doesn’t exist independently, and any changes to it have effect not only on these private renters, but on the availability of other housing and on wider fundamental issues like homelessness.
The PRS can and does provide high-quality and long-term homes for renters. But too often it fails, leaving many people trapped in unsafe homes, or facing the threat of eviction, damaging their health and their sense of security. We all know the problems in the private rented sector – everyone either has a personal story or knows someone who has had a problem when private renting in the UK.
But alongside these things we already know, there’s also so much of the PRS that is not well understood. It’s a complex and ever-changing part of the housing system, with many contentious areas. And the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill will accelerate the change happening, shifting the market in ways we can and can’t yet predict. This lack of understanding means that when it comes to trying to improve the PRS, we can struggle to deliver effective interventions that really work to improve renters’ lives or improve landlords’ ability to operate effectively. There is still so much that we need to understand better, to make a stronger and better delivered PRS.
What is the Private Renting Knowledge Hub?
That’s why we’re launching the Private Renting Knowledge Hub. The Hub will:
- Deliver new and vital research, funded and led by the Nationwide Foundation, into areas where greater understanding is most needed.
- Be a central source of knowledge and expertise on the PRS, bringing together evidence from across the sector.
- Support collaboration across the sector, bringing together everyone who could benefit from this knowledge, and helping us work better together.
Who is carrying out the research?
To kick off the Hub, we’re working with leading research organisations on wide-ranging analyses into three vital under-explored areas of the PRS. A better understanding of each of these three is essential to creating a better PRS in the future:
- Research into the Role and Behaviour of Letting Agents, completed by Demos, will unpick the challenges faced by the 48% of landlords who use an agent1 and by tenants when interacting with agents, as well as those faced by agents themselves. We’ll find new ways to improve how agents operate.
Dan Goss, Senior Researcher, Demos, said: “As the UK’s lack of affordable decent homes continues to perpetuate stress and hardship for renters, change is desperately needed. Letting agents – used by almost half of landlords in the Private Rented Sector, affecting tenant selection, rent levels, property management, and more – could play a critical role in driving progress. But this potential remains poorly understood.
“With the support of Nationwide Foundation, we at Demos will be taking a deep-dive into the role and behaviour of letting agents in the Private Rented Sector. We will explore the impact they currently have, and their role in radically improving conditions. As always, Demos strive to put people at the heart of our research and policymaking. By listening to tenants, landlords, letting agents, and policy experts, we hope to drive forward reforms that are bold, grounded in reality, and work for all in the sector.”
2. Analysis of the Mediated Market, completed by Social Finance and the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, will investigate the often murky part of the PRS that provides homes for people in temporary accommodation, supported accommodation, seeking asylum, leaving prison, or fleeing domestic abuse. We know that 145,800 children are living in temporary accommodation2; by understanding the financial flows and incentives, tenant experience and landlord perspectives, we’ll be able to support change.
Jonathan Webb, Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Regional Economic Social Research (CRESR), said: “To date, there has been limited research into the mediated market within the private rented sector and the lived experiences of those navigating it. The Nationwide Foundation’s support in shedding light on this often-overlooked area is vital for addressing potential inequalities and deepening our understanding of the complex and evolving nature of the modern private rented sector. The Centre for Regional, Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University is proud to collaborate with Social Finance in generating fresh evidence and insights into the mediated market within the private rented sector.”
Susan McDonald, Director, Social Finance, said “We recognise that the private rented sector has a continued and vital role to play in ensuring access to safe, secure and affordable housing – meeting this fundamental need enables improved employment, education and health outcomes. We welcome the launch of the Nationwide Foundation’s outcomes focused research programme which, in partnership with CRESR, will allow us to shed light on how the private rented sector helps government meet the needs of people in temporary, transitional and supported accommodation. Like Nationwide Foundation, Social Finance wants to see households’ experiences of the places they live improve’, and thanks to the Private Renting Knowledge Hub, we can work collaboratively to highlight opportunities to expand good practice.”
3. Research into the Local Impact of Build to Rent, completed by the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, will explore this growing part of the PRS, and see how far it has the potential to deliver the genuinely affordable and high–quality homes that renters need.
Dr Nicola Livingstone, Professor in Real Estate, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, said: “This research will provide an in-depth, evidence-based assessment of the emergence of Build to Rent (BtR) on local rental markets. We will consider current models of supply and provision, analysing whether BtR developments impact rental prices locally and questioning their role in the UK’s housing market, with a focus on understanding affordability. Our approach will examine current policy landscapes relating to BtR and their outcomes on the ground through case study evaluation and tenant surveys, examining lived experiences and rental market challenges. By exploring BtR models across diverse local contexts, we aim to identify how this growing sector can meaningfully contribute to the delivery of decent, secure, and more affordable homes through effective recommendations and the promotion of positive change in the PRS.”
So what can you do?
The best thing you can do is sign up to our Private Renting Knowledge Hub newsletter. You can also check out the website. We’ll be providing regular updates, new evidence, and opportunities to collaborate.
For everyone involved in how the PRS operates, is regulated, and is funded – look out for our research which will deliver solutions to key problems in the PRS. If you want to speak to us about the work, or if you’re interested in being a part of it, get in touch.
For anyone thinking about, producing or funding PRS research – get in touch with us. Lack of collaboration across the sector prevents us moving forwards, leaving problems entrenched. The Hub is a collaborative endeavour for everyone interested in evidence on the PRS, and we want to hear about the work you’re doing or if you’re interested in collaboration. We’ll use the Hub to promote the research you’re doing.
You can contact joshua.davies@nationwidefoundation.org.uk.
We’ve been producing research into the private rented sector for many years, including into Scottish tenancy reform and the evolution of the sector. You can find all our previously published research and reports by visiting our publications page and filtering by ‘Private Rented Sector’.
This is just the beginning, and we’ll be announcing much more about the Hub in the coming months. We’re creating and bringing evidence together to make private renting better for everyone, and we want you to join us.