Good Place Lettings has launched an “ethical” office for private landlords in London.      

Its Brick Lane office, in the East End of the capital, aims to “tackle housing inequality head-on by helping private rented sector landlords offer good quality homes for rent alongside responsible property management”. 

The business manages homes for landlords that are let at both market rent and affordable rental levels, including to people who receive housing benefit. 

It is a joint venture with homelessness charity Crisis and church body Homes for Good, with funding from Lloyds Banking Group and The National Lottery Community Fund. 

The opening comes as average UK rents rose by 5.5% to £1,354 in the year to September, Office for National Statistics data shows. 

In London, average rents lifted 5.3% to £2,260 over the same period. 

Good Place Lettings Director Ben Rayner says: “The private rented sector in London is under huge pressure from low levels of new supply, which are limiting choice and pushing up rents.  

“It has been very encouraging to meet and work with landlords who want to offer good quality rented homes at varying rent levels to help a wider range of renters with different backgrounds, while helping to improve standards in the rental market. 

Rayner adds: “Regulation and reforms to the private rental market are making it more complex and challenging to be a self-managing landlord, which is why some are looking to exit the market.  

“We offer an alternative, and landlords interested in making a lasting difference to the experience of private renting in London should get in touch.” 

The opening comes as the House of Commons has moved the wide-ranging Renter’s Rights Bill to its final Royal Assent stage today, which aims to end bidding wars, scrap fixed-term tenancies and ban Section 21 no-fault possessions.