§ LORD MELCHETTasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the function of the rent officer service and what qualifications are normally required of rent officers.
§ LORD SHEPHERDRent officers, who are independent statutory officers, are at present responsible for fixing fair rents in the unfurnished private sector in response to applications from landlords, tenants or both jointly. They are widely accepted as having considerable expertise in rent fixing in this sector. Over the years they have also increasingly come to be regarded by the general public as a source of general information and help on a wide range of housing matters.
Those officers of local authorities who are personally responsible for the appointments look for people with good personality, intelligence, sound common sense, ability to act impartially and a capacity for getting on with people. It is now normally desirable for candidates to have some experience in valuation and a knowledge of rent and housing legislation, but a formal professional qualification has not been considered necessary.
Rent officers are appointed from many sources, but principally nowadays from senior staff of central and local government with housing, rating and valuation backgrounds, and from local authority staff already working with the rent officers. Rent officers also come from private practice, the police and the Services.
House adjourned at eighteen minutes before six o'clock.