Housing association - a better option for tenants than private renting

Today, half of the UK generation prefers to stay on rent, since buying homes have become difficult, living on rent is the only way out.

However, seeing a marked increase in this trend, landlords, especially the private rented sector's landlords have got a chance to exploit the desperate and vulnerable tenants by charging from them exorbitant rent.

Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation predicts that 1.5 million between the ages of 15-30 opting to live in private rented houses by 2020.

While the country faces a surge in the number of people needing housing facilities, there aren't that many houses prepared, even those prepared are not affordable, paving way for private renting sector to grow at an unmanageable pace, and an only next best option to live. Now, since even that is becoming unaffordable for people to stay as tenants, social housing or housing associations, is a sole silver lining for this generation of tenants.

These housing associations could help solving the scenario. They could purchase and develop new homes. This would help them meet the needs of the young people and low and middle-income families.

These housing associations also provide a quality rented accommodation, thereby being best possible alternative for UK's Generation rent.

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Need for regulating the private renting sector

Housing is the essential most need for humans. In UK, with the ongoing trend of economic downturn, this basic necessity is literally now turning into a luxury with the private landlords trying to charge much more to the tenants than usual.

Unusual growth of the private renting sector has made lives hard for the tenants. More often, issues regarding safety and security of tenancy are neglected by the private landlords. There are many cases to prove this fact. One of such recent case in the sector was investigated by Guardian's journalist; Amelia Gentleman who helped unearthed the corruption occurring in the sector.

Guardian's journalist exposed how many of the vulnerable and low income earning's tenants are asked to pay exorbitant rents for merely a shed with a toilet. Examples of such practices are rampant and widespread.  This makes it a total visible case of corruption in the private rending sector, of how heinously, the private landlords are cashing on the situation of lower supply and higher demand of housing in UK.

With the further deteriorating economic condition in London and South East, the minimum wages of the low income workers are seen falling below their real wages, making them so vulnerable at the hands of private landlords.

This phenomenon serves as the latest example of how capitalists rule the society and how they exploit, till date the needy and destitute.
Other problems faced by private tenants are that of high energy costs, absence of security of tenure and landlords' reluctance to repair to improve the property.

If this trend is to continue more, then this will only lead to an addition in the already increased demand, thereby increasing the rents, and those, in utter need, most of the time the poor, get pushed aside and denied of their right to live in securely and safely.

This problem needs to be solved for housing is a basic need for poor as well as wealthy in a nation and to provide a secured roof to its citizens is the foremost duty of the state. Keeping the fact in mind, there is a dire need for regulating the private rented sector.

Regulation of private renting sector needs to be made in the form of holding licenses for private landlords a compulsion. A compulsion should be made for all the private landlords, in fact all the landlords, to hold the license, and only that shall act as a basis for trading. Besides, the license, they should also be guaranteeing on adhering to certain standards required and letting a property that is genuine.

The task of this can be given to professional property management companies, who shall also see that the regulation is followed and implemented on, regularly.

All in all, there is an utter need to regulate the private rented sector, before it expands exponentially at this chaotic speed and exploits the poor further.

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