Responding to Labour’s commitment to boost housing supply if they win the next election, National Residential Landlords Association CEO Ben Beadle agreed that Labour was right to address the housing crisis by  a significant increase in the supply of homes. However, he insisted that this also needed to include new homes for private rent.

“With 25 would-be tenants enquiring about every available home to rent, tenants are crying out for new rental housing now.

“Private rented housing provides one of the best springboards into homeownership, whilst landlords are well placed to help bring the almost quarter of a million long term empty homes back into use.

He added: “Increasing supply is the best way to improve choice and affordability, and doing so would substantially boost Treasury revenue. Scrapping the stamp duty levy on homes to rent would see 900,000 new private rented homes made available across the UK. This would lead to an additional £10 bn in revenue as a result of increases in income and corporation tax receipts”.

Beadle also insisted that the Labour party should accept the recommendations of the Labour-led Housing Select Committee to reform the tax system to support the provision of more homes to rent.