RICS, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, states that there must a better transparency and improvement in standards within the private rented sector so landlords and lettings agents can improve their relationships with tenants.

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The Institute is working alongside Lord Best and his Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) working group, and says that the 2017/18 English Housing Survey shows the private rented sector has the largest number of properties that have category one hazards.

RICS is developing the new PRS Code of Practice with the ROPA to be released by the end of autumn, which will supposedly help make the sector more 'professional'.

The Institute is urging the government to support and action the ROPA recommendations which could introduce accreditation of practitioners, a mandatory program of continuous development and minimum standards for all landlords and agents.

It is also calling for the government to provide their intentions and plans for further regulation of the PRS and landlords and a proposed timetable of actions.

The latest sector policy statement from RICS says: ‘We believe that the way to raise standards in the PRS is to ensure that all individual lettings, estate and property management practitioners and firms are consistently regulated and subject to a single, consolidated residential property code, by new regulator with powers to delegate regulatory functions to selected designated professional bodies, as advised by the recently released ROPA report.

‘A regulated PRS would enhance the landlord-tenant relationship, as well as build institutional investor confidence in a growth sector that offers housing solutions to increasing numbers of households. As a sector leading body, RICS already create and regulate professional standards in property and of our professionals who work within the industry.’

Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: "This is all the industry needs right now to make sure that good landlords have even more regulations and no doubt fees to 'encourage' them to sell up.