High standards: Developing a property improvement model for the private rented sector in Greater Manchester

Article

The private rented sector (PRS) in Greater Manchester has grown significantly in recent decades.

Despite this growth, there remain persistent issues with housing quality in the sector: approximately 25 per cent of all PRS homes in Greater Manchester are classed as ‘non-decent’. At the same time, around 15 per cent of all households across tenures in Greater Manchester live in fuel poverty – some of the highest rates in England.

The need to improve housing quality in the PRS is clear; too many tenants live in poor-quality, unsafe accommodation that impacts their health. A decline in the number of available social homes, a lack of central government investment to build more social homes, and the unsuitability of social rented housing for many tenants, mean that an improved PRS is vital for a functioning housing system in Greater Manchester.

In this report, we have sought to develop a financial model for improving private property in Greater Manchester.

Related items

  1. Train and cars on a motorway with London skyline in background

    Planes, trains and automobiles: How green transport can drive manufacturing growth in the UK

    Transport is essential to our lives. Unfortunately, it is currently also the largest source of UK domestic carbon emissions. 

  2. Regional economies: The role of industrial strategy as a pathway to greener growth

    Regions like the North should have a key role to play in the development of a green industrial strategy.
  3. A mother and child walking in a field with hills in the distance

    Achieving the 2030 child poverty target: The distance left to travel

    On 27 March, the Scottish government will announce whether Scotland’s 2023 child poverty target – no more than 18 per cent of children in poverty – was achieved.