The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) has called on the government to maintain a balance between home ownership and the private rental sector in 2022.

According to the trade body, balancing the need for affordable housing for first-time-buyers against the vital role played by the private rental sector will be essential in maintaining the sector’s “promising trajectory” seen in 2021.

This follows the increased numbers of landlords buying buy-to-let property during last year’s stamp duty holiday.

In its 2022 Mortgage Market Manifesto, IMLA has outlined several areas it believes the government and industry should focus on in order to ensure the UK’s housing market remains “buoyant and accessible”.

The manifesto sets out a list of priorities for 2022, which on top of addressing the imbalance of housing supply also includes reassessing the current affordability and stress testing criteria, as well as incentivising the green agenda. IMLA is also calling on the government to find a solution to the ongoing cladding crisis.

“Despite – and in some cases as a result of – the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 remained a very busy year for the housing market,” said IMLA executive director, Kate Davies. “Amid this ongoing demand, there are still plenty of areas we need to focus on to support the market, and ensure it is accessible to borrowers across the country from a range of backgrounds.

“Our housing market needs a long-term vision, and one which is co-ordinated across government and the wider industry. And it is paramount that this vision is underpinned by a strategy to address the pressing issues we are facing. For example, we don’t just need more homes – we need more homes of the right design, which are energy efficient and serviced by appropriate infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals.

“Our latest manifesto identifies the key areas that we believe should be a focus for the mortgage market and the government in the year ahead.”

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