Review your Devon landlord with Treehaus
The UK has been battling a national housing crisis for some time now, and the pandemic conditions have only put the sector under further pressure.
Historically low inventories have driven prices up, and significant changes in moving trends have left many areas struggling. For Devon, the most recent challenge is the dramatic drop in available rental properties. With domestic holidaying taking centre stage during the pandemic, around three-quarters of Devon's rental properties disappeared from the long-term rental market, with many becoming Airbnb's and other holiday homes. As a result, affordable housing is in short supply.
The issues currently facing the housing sector in the UK are multifaceted, yet one area that is within our control to fix has been frustratingly overlooked; until now.
Regulatory changes to improve living conditions
According to the 2019 English Housing Survey, of the 4.4 million households currently renting a UK property from a private landlord, 23% did not meet the Decent Homes Standard.
While low inventory continues to put upward pressure on an already struggling industry, some practical measures are finally being taken to ensure that living conditions in the rental sector are held to higher standards.
Following recent announcements, the government has pledged its commitment to overhauling the sector, by introducing some key regulatory changes. A new landlord register is being launched by the government, in addition to a new set of national standards that rental properties must comply with. These new standards will require any non-compliant properties to be refitted by landlords to ensure that they provide tenants with accommodation that is 'safe, warm, and in a good state of repair.'
While this announcement is a promising start, any tenants currently suffering in poor rental conditions are still left with no practical way of holding their landlords accountable. Local authorities do not have the funds or resources to take any proactive action to ensure rental properties' compliance. In addition, the current private rental sector regulations make it even more unlikely that these changes will positively impact the way tenants are treated.
Treehaus launches powerful platform for change
Treehaus was started by social entrepreneur Neil Nichols and technologist Mark Brown, and its mission is to transform the rental sector by giving tenants a long-overdue voice and creating transparency and fairness for all.
Treehaus Director Neil Nichols explains, "In no other industry does the customer get treated so badly, with so little recourse when things go wrong. There has to be a better way, and we aim to give tenants a platform to make themselves heard."
As a result, Treehaus has launched the first-ever national UK rental property database with a groundbreaking landlord review platform.
As a result of market research, Treehaus hopes that further down the line the platform will help match tenants with good landlords and properties, while simultaneously holding any rogue landlords accountable and subsequently improving overall standards across the sector.
Unprecedented rental sector transparency to drive up standards
With Treehaus' revolutionary platform, UK tenants can now publicly review their landlords, and the rental properties they provide. Treehaus is aiming for 1 million reviews to create an effective movement, creating unprecedented transparency for the sector to champion great landlords, hold subpar landlords accountable, and motivate all to up their game in the process.
If you're a renter in Devon (or anywhere in the UK), join the rental standards revolution by submitting your review to www.treehaus.com now.
