The government’s ambitious plans to overhaul the private rental sector have descended into farce, with the proposed mandatory national landlord database facing a wave of ridicule from MPs just weeks before its scheduled launch.
The scheme, which requires agents and landlords to pay a fee to local councils while manually inputting extensive property data, has been branded “not fit for purpose” by Conservative MP Gareth Bacon. During a scathing critique of the proposals, Bacon highlighted the staggering inefficiency of the system, which currently makes no provision for bulk data uploads.
“It is 2026. Advanced technology is available, yet the government’s proposals envisage the manual uploading of each individual property,” Bacon said. He calculated that with 70 data points required per property, a landlord managing a 10,000-unit portfolio would face over 700 working days of administrative labor. “Noah processed more animals on to the ark at a time than that,” he quipped, urging the government to pause the rollout and return to the drawing board.
Liberal Democrat MP Gideon Amos echoed the sentiment, labeling the scheme a “fiasco.” He pointed out that the time-consuming nature of the manual input process would render the database obsolete by the time the data was fully processed, failing the very tenants it is intended to serve. Meanwhile, Tory MP Sir John Whittingdale warned of unnecessary duplication, noting that he already pays £1,000 annually for a local licensing regime that demands information already slated for the new national system.
Under mounting pressure, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook attempted to walk back the rigidity of the proposals. He claimed the government is “looking at how to make it easier for landlords” by eventually creating a secure digital connection for property management systems. However, critics remain skeptical, as the government’s detailed guidelines—released just yesterday—continue to insist upon individual, manual entries for each property.
The controversy over the database adds to a mounting sense of crisis regarding the government’s housing agenda. Earlier this week, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) cast a shadow over the administration’s flagship pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes by mid-2029, declaring the target to be in serious jeopardy.
In a damning report, the OBR cited a decade of cumulative regulatory and fiscal changes—ranging from building safety levies to complex environmental requirements—as primary drivers of increased costs and development delays. To make matters worse, the watchdog warned that the government’s upcoming ‘Your First Home’ scheme, intended to help buyers, may inadvertently spike demand and push property prices higher, potentially exacerbating the nation’s affordability crisis.
With the rental database set to go live in December, the government now faces a frantic race to prove the system is more than just a bureaucratic hurdle for an already strained housing market.
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
