State of the PRS (Q1 2019): A survey of private landlords and the impact of welfare reforms

The private rented sector has become increasingly important in providing a home to renters. Private landlords now play a prominent role in providing a home to many low-income households who claim housing benefit. At the same time there have been significant welfare reforms introduced by successive governments.

To further develop the understanding of the issues surrounding welfare reform and the private rented sector, the Residential Landlords Association commissioned Edge Hill University to conduct an independent study as part of their ‘State of the PRS’ quarterly surveys. The main aims and objectives of this study were to examine the effect of welfare reforms on private landlords, and, to monitor and analyse key trends across the sector in line with previous quarterly surveys. This project was undertaken between March 2019 and May 2019 and included an online survey to which 2,229 private landlords responded.