Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
21
However, the Department acknowledged gaps and limitations in its current data, and it is reliant...
Conclusion
However, the Department acknowledged gaps and limitations in its current data, and it is reliant on tenant representatives such as Shelter and Citizens Advice to understand tenant experiences.47 For example, it estimates that during the COVID-19 pandemic, over-crowding peaked at 15% of rented homes, double what it was in 2019–20. However, it does not have up-to-date data on how this is changing and does not know whether it will be a long-term effect.48 While the Department intends to improve its data, it has not identified what additional data sources it could use to monitor progress or measure the success of its planned reforms beyond those it can already access.49 The Department also lacks sufficient data on who may be vulnerable in the private rented sector and why, which makes it difficult to target interventions towards those who need the most protection.50
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5: PAC conclusion: The Department lacks good enough data to understand the nature and extent of problems renters face. 5: PAC recommendation: The Department should develop a coherent data strategy to identify and collect the data it needs to: • understand the problems renters are facing; and • evaluate the impact of legislative changes. Once complete, this strategy should be shared with this Committee and the Levelling up, Housing and Communities Committee. 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2023 5.2 The department utilises a range of data from various sources to inform policy decisions and ensure effective private rented sector (PRS) regulation, regularly engaging with other government departments, LAs, and stakeholders to enhance insights. 5.3 The annual English Housing Survey (EHS) provides detailed insight into people’s housing circumstances and condition, including private renters. The 2020/2021 EHS headline report is published and will be followed by a series of detailed topic reports in summer 2022. 5.4 Additional analysis on aspects of tenant experience is conducted as required to further understanding. The department commissioned a segmentation of private renters based on socio-economic demographic characteristics, using 2019/2020 EHS data, to explore variations in housing experiences and attitudes among different renters' cohorts. 5.5 The department is working to further develop its approach to data to support its renters reform programme, including improving data on security, quality and local authority level data. The department is conscious of needing to balance reporting demands on LAs, which come with resource and cost implications, with a need to ensure robust oversight of the sector and will continue to work closely with LAs and other stakeholders to support this. 5.6 The department recognises the importance of understanding the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions and is committed to monitoring and evaluating reform programme impacts. 5.7 The department will continue to publish relevant PRS data and will build on our existing data, address gaps where needed, and consider how best to evaluate future PRS reforms. We will continue to work closely with LAs and other stakeholders to consider what further data requirements to fully understand impacts of future reforms and outcomes for tenants and landlords.