The PRS Database should be used as a potential source of data to help identify scores of renters who are eligible to vote, says Generation Rent.

It wants the government to consider changes to the upcoming Database as MPs debate the Representation of the People Bill, which proposes lowering the voter age to 16, expanding the list of accepted voter IDs, and introducing more automated forms of voter registration, known as Registration Without Application.

It reckons an automated voter registration system, which updates electoral records when people change their address with the council, HMRC or the DVLA, should make sure as many private renters as possible get picked up by the new system and increase private renter registration rates from 66% to more than 90% in England. A more comprehensive Database would help councils’ electoral registration officers identify renters who might otherwise fall through the gaps, particularly if they don’t drive or claim benefits.

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“The main way the Database can help is to allow council officers to identify homes that are more likely to see their residents change in a given year, so may need additional attention to keep the electoral register up to date,” Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive, (pictured above) tells LandlordZONE. “A lot depends on the process adopted in the new legislation, and what data the Database will record, but it’ll be important to include the Database as a potential source of data for voter registration purposes.”

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The group picked up on a recent rental property advert with a condition that the new tenant would not be able to register to vote. It says it has heard anecdotally that this is not an isolated incident, often because the landlord wants to avoid the property being identified as an HMO or to secure a lower council tax rate.

Generation Rent also wants the government to announce a firm implementation date for a nationwide rollout of automated registration as it believes without one, these reforms might not be fully operational before the next General Election.

In the meantime, the renters’ group suggests landlords can include a link to gov.uk/register-to-vote in information they give tenants when settling into their new home.

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