Issue - decisions

That the Private Rented Sector Strategy and Action Plan 2021 – 2025 were approved.

Reasons for Decision 

Westminster had the largest private rented sector in England at c.53,000 properties and it was the largest tenure in the city. Although the council’s Housing Strategy Direction of Travel Statement: 2015 covered general aims for the sector, including regularly reviewing the case for introducing discretionary licensing, a dedicated private rented sector strategy had been developed in response to a new independent report into the sector in 2019.

The report highlighted issues with the quality and management of some private rented sector homes in the city and its findings supported the introduction of a licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), which was an aim of the strategy, (subject to having considered the results of a separate consultation). The report had also provided the impetus to look more broadly at the sector and the strategy included a wider range of plans to support it.