Speaking at the first National Landlords Association (NLA) National Conference, held in Birmingham on Saturday 29 November, Iain Wright, minister with responsibility for the private-rented sector, said the Government was committed to not bringing forward knee-jerk legislation that would hamper the growth of the sector but, instead would target the rogue operators which give responsible landlords a bad name.

In a speech to landlord delegates, the Minister said the private-rented sector had become a “great tool to help house the people of this country” and that he wanted to see the sector “not just survive over the coming months and years but thrive”.

Dr Julie Rugg, co-author of the recently published independent review of the private-rented sector, spoke about the need for landlords to view what they do as a business and not purely as an investment vehicle. She reaffirmed how little evidence had been presented to support the view that retaliatory eviction was widespread and that ‘studentification’ had become a major national problem.

David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA, said: “The Minister has re-affirmed what the NLA has known for years - the people who suffer the most from burdensome regulation are reputable landlords. The rogue operators will usually avoid being noticed and what we must now do is ensure they are not allowed to drop further under the radar.”