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17/12/25 3:30 pm
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A lettings expert has urged others to back a potential national housing committee as a way to devise long-term strategy for the property sector.
David Powell, CEO of Andrews Property Group, believes that rather than having oversight by central government, there should be a new, independent body representing social housing providers, developers, agents, conveyancers, mortgage lenders, removals and relocation services, housing charities and tenant groups – and landlords.
Powell says this could set long‑term building targets insulated from political turbulence, standardise planning frameworks, ensure consistent regulation for landlords, tenants, and developers, and provide stability for investors and lenders.
Members could be appointed through nominations from each major housing stakeholder group, with equal voting weight and fixed-term appointments, he tells LandlordZONE: “Disagreements are inevitable, but they become productive rather than destructive when the structure forces collaboration.”
He cites the example of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, with diverse expertise, transparent process, and a mandate that outlives political cycles.
Powell says the housing crisis is the product of structural failure, political short‑termism, and fragmented decision‑making. “The challenge is that housing policy is often driven by short-term political incentives, not long-term structural thinking,” he adds. “Without cross-industry alignment, it’s difficult for any government to take bold decisions that might not pay off within a single parliamentary term.”
Andrews Property Group also tried to galvanise the sector last year, by launching a petition calling for flexible stamp duty payment options, allowing home buyers to spread stamp duty costs over two to five years rather than finding the full amount within 14 days of completion, to address affordability pressures and unlock buyer demand.
Its petition gained strong sector support and helped push the conversation into the mainstream. “Unfortunately, political signalling from both major parties overtook the proposal before it could complete its intention,” says Powell. “Even so, the petition demonstrated that the industry is willing to engage constructively - and that momentum matters.”
He believes many professionals across the housing ecosystem share similar frustrations. “The real issue isn’t a lack of ideas - it’s the absence of a formal mechanism for those ideas to be synthesised and acted upon.”
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