The London Assembly will tomorrow afternoon explore how record-breaking rents^[1] are affecting Londoners – particularly families and people on low incomes - as it kicks off a comprehensive review of potential reforms to the capital’s private rented sector^[2].

Housing and Regeneration Committee Members will question a range of guests about the factors influencing rent levels, the extent of public subsidy to private landlords, and the potential effects of changes to welfare policy. 

The Committee will also discuss whether there is a case for extending security of tenure in the private rented sector and, if so, how this might be done.  The following guests will attend:

• Councillor Karen Alcock, London Borough of Hackney and Chair of the East London Housing Partnership
• Colin Cormack, Service Head Housing Options, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Ian Potter, Managing Director of the Association of Residential Lettings Agents
• Jacky Peacock, Brent Private Tenants' Rights Group
• Kathleen Scanlon, Research Fellow, London School of Economics

Tomorrow’s session is the first of three public meetings the Committee will hold as it works to identify recommendations to the Mayor, government and boroughs that would expand the supply of and improve the quality, affordability and security of private rented sector housing in London.

The Housing and Regeneration Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, 20 September 2012 from 2pm in Committee Room 5 at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1).   Media and members of the public are invited to attend.   The meeting can also be viewed via webcast.

Notes for editors:

1. The average monthly rent in the private sector passed £1,200 for the first time in August 2011.  According to Shelter, London boroughs are the most expensive in England, with the average rent for a two bedroom home in the capital topping £1,360 - almost two and a half times the average in the rest of the country.
2. See more information about the review of London’s private rented sector.  To help shape our investigation, we would like to hear from Londoners who rent, or who have rented in the past. Please email housingandregencommittee@london.gov.uk with your experiences. Any information provided will be treated as confidential.
3. The review builds on the Assembly’s previous work on property conditions in the private rented sector. See our report: Bleak Houses: Improving London’s private rented housing (Dec 2011)
4. Full agenda papers for the meeting.
5. Len Duvall AM, Chair of the Housing and Regeneration Committee, is available for interview.  See contact details below.
6. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

For more details, please contact Dana Rothenberg in the Assembly Media Office on 020 7983 4603/4283.  For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.  Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit, Greater London Authority, on 020 7983 4100.