23rd
Oct 2016
A major UK rental homes' developer is calling on the government to do away with the new legislation on minimum space requirements for build to rent homes.
The government is proposing to introduce a mandatory standard of 70 sq ft for rooms and is one of its efforts to clamp down on 'rogue' landlords, together with more stringent licensing of rental homes.
At present this standard is only applied to HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) however the head of operations and strategy for the developer, Dominic Westbrook, strongly believes that the government should be fully aware of the differences between build-to-rent and build-to-let.
Dominic Martin, said: “It’s important when considering space requirements the government recognises the difference between traditional buy-to-let market and the new amenity and service led build to rent sector. This one size all approach just doesn’t work and doesn’t reflect this new and better offer to renters.
“Our initial schemes have been office-to-residential conversions, and while the unit sizes are smaller than a conventional new build, this means we have been able to deliver more much needed homes for private rent. As a counter however, this is compensated by the provision of quality amenity space and a greater investment in smart technology like under floor heating, as well as onsite staff offering a new customer focused service.”
A property consultancy also questions the government's plans to implement minimum space requirements for rooms in private rented properties as it "will ultimately harm renters”. Julian Goddard of the consultancy insists that potential tenants may opt for a smaller space to suit their budget.
Goddard said: “While well intentioned, these minimum space requirements for the rental market will do little to help people looking for cheaper options to live, especially in ultra-competitive locations like London.
“They also fail to recognise the huge shifts in technology that mean we are increasingly asset lite.
“From streaming music on Spotify to watching films on Netflix, people - especially the younger generations who see more likely to rent - are owning less and less physical copies and relying more and more on digital services, reducing the need for storage space. Housing policy should be made for the future, not the past.”
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