The Renters’ Reform Coalition has sparked controversy after its director, Tom Darling, claimed that landlords selling their properties “would not necessarily be a bad thing” for renters.

Speaking at a Conservative Party Conference panel on private rented sector reform, Darling said there was “no evidence” the sector is shrinking, citing the English Housing Survey — despite the survey showing that 31% of landlords planned to sell or reduce their portfolios in 2024, up from 16% in 2018.

Darling argued that when landlords sell, “someone else will live there — a first-time buyer, another landlord, or the council”.

His comments drew strong criticism from Nottingham landlord Mick Roberts, who warned that low-income and Universal Credit tenants are being squeezed out when landlords sell up.  “New landlords only choose top-class tenants. The less-than-perfect tenant loses out when the landlord sells,” he said.

Propertymark’s head of policy Timothy Douglas also challenged Darling’s position, citing Scotland as an example of over-regulation leading to a homelessness crisis.
Douglas noted that high transaction taxes, loss of fixed-term tenancies, and rent controls have reduced supply — particularly affecting students — while driving up rents.

He added:  “We’ve got to move away from this ‘us versus them’ attitude. We need a healthy mix in the housing market and a clear vision from policymakers.”