Agents’ trade body Propertymark has congratulated shadow housing secretary Kemi Badenoch on her election as leader of the Conservative party.

It’s also hoping that she can give some new thinking on the future of the private rental sector, following the Tories’ last attempt to introduce the Renters Reform Bill and the new Labour government’s current Renters Rights Bill, both of which introduce a string of disincentives to existing and future investors in buy to let.

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, says: “We congratulate Kemi Badenoch on their successful election campaign and encourage them to collaborate with property professionals to uncover answers to these significant problems impacting the housing sector.

“Although there is a cross-party consensus that more homes need to be built, there are still many issues that need addressing by all the political parties such as the lack of investment in the private rental sector due to spiralling taxes and regulations, the costs that many homeowners and landlords face with making their homes more energy efficient, and the obstacles that are hindering an increase in housing supply and affordability.

“We hope that Kemi Badenoch can provide a fresh insight into these ongoing challenges, and we look forward to working with them to further champion the role of property agents.”