Nobody should be excluded from the private rental sector - David Alexander

It is a fundamental right that everyone should have a roof over their heads. It is a basic entitlement which is surely one of the key symbols of an advanced society. The recent announcement by UK Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, that he intends to introduce reforms – which will apply across all parts of the UK – which will make it illegal for landlords to exclude tenants with children and people on benefits from renting homes is welcome. It also aims to make it easier for individuals with pets to rent a home.

UK Housing Secretary Michael Gove has written to Scottish Housing Minister Paul McLennan to offer a joint approach and stated: “We know this is a priority we share with the Scottish government and would send a clear message to providers across the whole of Great Britain.”

This proposal is part of the Renters (Reform) Bill, which was introduced at Westminster in May, and is aimed at strengthening the law to make it illegal for landlords and agents to have a blanket ban on tenants who have children or who receive benefits. It would also give tenants the right to request a pet in the property, which the landlord must consider and could not "reasonably refuse".

This follows a recent BBC investigation which found that thousands of properties were being advertised specifically excluding people with children, on benefits, or with pets from applying. While there may be some properties which have legitimate reasons for excluding families (too small, difficult access, remotely located from schools etc) it is surely vital that the private rented sector (PRS) be open to everyone with the usual caveats about affordability. Appropriate credit and affordability checks would remain but adverts which specifically excluded families and benefit recipients would be disallowed.

More renters could be allowed pets if the Renters (Reform) Bill is passed

With demand for rented properties at an all time high it is clear that this can produce a market which encourages landlords to select the tenants offering the easiest and most secure package. But we must be a sector which is as open, as fair, and as widely available as possible.

The PRS is providing people with homes, for increasingly longer periods, and for some, their whole lives. Therefore, people should not be pre-emptively excluded from access to a home simply because they have children, are on benefits, or wish to have a pet.

There must be provision, either in the PRS and within social housing, for families to be provided with long term homes in the rental sector. This has always been the case and the fact that Michael Gove now feels that legislation is required to ensure this is possible is alarming.

That this new legislation covers all of the UK is essential as this will ensure that families and people will know that they will be treated the same in any part of country. The notion that different legislation would apply in place in other parts of the country is a nonsense and, thankfully, all governments in the UK are in agreement on this.

​David Alexander is CEO of DJ Alexander Scotland Ltd (picture: Laurence Winram Photography)

Of course, having legislation to prevent families, those on benefits, and pet owners from being able to access properties does not do anything to ease the chronic shortage of homes that is occurring across the UK and specifically in the central belt of Scotland.

What is required are more homes, in all areas, in the private and public sectors. It is all very well to introduce legislation which theoretically ensures all people cannot be excluded from a home because of their circumstances but if there aren’t enough homes in the first place then many people will still find themselves unable to find a home in a place that they want to live.

​David Alexander is CEO of DJ Alexander Scotland Ltd