The Policy and Politics of Improving Standards in the English Private Rented Sector

The standard of existing homes in the English private rented sector (PRS) presents several challenges. As the sector has expanded, issues of inadequate renovation, maintenance and upgrading have assumed greater salience. Research has also highlighted enforcement challenges, which make it more difficult to raise property standards and improve tenants’ housing experiences. This paper, informed by regulatory theory and systems thinking, argues that there is benefit in thinking more expansively about the practical policy interventions available to address the problem of standards. The paper presents a framework for doing so which has currency in thinking about policy design and effectiveness beyond PRS standards. The policy debate would benefit from attending to more powerful leverage points associated with the design and intent of the system in pursuit of transformative change towards a stronger culture of compliance with standards.