Safeagent, the not-for-profit accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents, has backed the new premiership of Andy Burnham.

The new PM was actively involved in the private rental sector in his former role as Greater Manchester Mayor, where he created a Good Landlord Charter winning the support of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA). 

Now safeagent chief executive Isobel Thomson says: “safeagent wishes Prime Minister Andy Burnham well in his new role. 

“Having worked with him and others on the establishment of the Good Landlord Charter in Manchester, and as the only agent organisation on its board, we know his commitment to a fair and functioning private rented sector that works for all. 

“We hope this approach is maintained in developing any new policy initiatives.”

And the NRLA has itself given Burnham a cautious welcome into Downing Street. 

Chief Executive Ben Beadle says that, having worked with Burnham when he was a regional mayor, “he has a personal, and seemingly genuine, interest in housing and property standards. He also demonstrates a pragmatism and, dare I say it, a flexibility in terms of his approach.”

Beadle has now written to Burnham to outline the association’s vision for the private rental sector. But the association head says the area of strongest likely disagreement is rent controls.

Beadle writes on his association’s website: “Labour – for a number of years now – has agreed with us, rejecting rent controls on the basis of categoric domestic and international evidence that they simply don’t work.

“Back in 2016, as mayoral candidate, Andy Burnham pledged to ‘seek powers to regulate rent increases and property standards’ if elected.

“Fast-forward to February 2023, and he signed an open letter to government calling for an immediate freeze on private sector rents until the cost-of-living crisis was over.”

He says the association also disagrees with the new Prime Minister over landlord licensing, but acknowledges that Burnham’s broadly pragmatic approach to setting up the Good Landlord Charter in Greater Manchester was sufficient for the NRLA to take a seat on its board.