Before I begin, I should declare an interest. I live in one of the 5.5 million privately rented properties in the UK. In my early 20s, that puts me in the same boat as most of my peers, and a significant one-in-five of my constituents in North West Cambridgeshire.

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For most of us, monthly rent is our biggest outgoing. It is a non-negotiable sum we prioritise above almost everything else. Yet, in the eyes of mortgage lenders, years of disciplined, on-time payments often count for absolutely nothing because they’re not factored into the UK credit system. So, many young people looking to buy a home are stuck, unable to access the mortgage they need despite in some cases paying more in rent than their mortgage would cost them each month.

The credit system must actually reward good habits. Right now, a glaring ‘data gap’ leaves millions of diligent renters ‘credit invisible’, however responsibly they manage their outgoings. We are teaching young people to be smart with their money, but the system is not smart enough to reward them for paying rent on time.

Affordability........

© LBC