The British Property Federation (BPF) has supported a move by Housing Minister Grant Shapps to abandon plans for a residential landlord register. The previous government had proposed the register after the Rugg Report authored by Julie Rugg. Shapps rejection of the register came as he was answering parliamentary questions about the future regulation of the private rented sector. He said he “wouldn’t be taking forward any of the regulatory agenda”.

Although landlords seem to be generally pleased with the shelving of the register plans, as they were widely believed to be costly and unnecessary, there is concern over the regulation of HMO properties. Shapp confirmed he would not be loosening the local council’s power to refuse landlords the right to rent homes to more than three un-related people.