The British Property Federation has praised London Mayor Boris Johnson for his commitment to the private rental sector and his work to boost house-building in the capital.
The BPF says Johnson showed his support for the PRS by ensuring pro-lettings alterations were made to the 2011 London Plan.
The amended version of the plan stipulates that the planning system must take a more positive approach to the PRS by considering the viability of covenanted residential land, in line with recommendations made in the Montague Review.
It also seeks to overcome the housing shortage in the capital by suggesting that individual borough councils consider housing targets to be minimum objectives, rather than maximum numbers to aim for. It also encourages looking at how redundant office and retail space could be used for the PRS.
But the BPF sounds a warning note about Johnson's proposal to ask student accommodation developers to also build affordable student housing - reflecting the requirements in the mainstream residential development sector.
The affordable student housing programme is well-meaning if it does not impinge on scheme viability but will only be effective if it ensures less well-off students get affordable' rooms. There are probably simpler, better targeted and less bureaucratic ways of providing the same support suggests Ian Fletcher, BPF Director of Policy.
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