A Whitehall taskforce set up to tackle ‘beds in sheds’ has not met since July 2013.

The taskforce was launched  by then housing minister Mark Prisk and was supposed to involve the Department of Communities and Local Government, police, UK Border Agency, HMRC and local councils.

But in a parliamentary answer by current housing minister Brandon Lewis, it was revealed that the taskforce was never planned to be an ongoing working group.

His answer was attacked by shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds, who said: “This revelation shows that the Government pays lip service to tackling problems in the private rented sector but isn’t committed to actually taking action.

“Beds in sheds and rogue landlords are an ongoing problem, so it’s incredible that the Government would announce the expansion of this taskforce, only to admit that since then the taskforce hasn’t actually met and has no intention of doing so.”

Separately, at the British Property Conference, the head of another taskforce said there will be a full-time build-to-rent “champion” within CLG.

Andrew Stanford, head of the Private Rented Sector Taskforce, revealed that recruitment is currently under way for the post, which will replace the PRS Taskforce when it is disbanded next month, three years after inception.

Stanford, managing director of property firm Stanford Mallinson and former head of Cluttons Residential, was recruited to head up the taskforce, which has been working with developers and investors to increase the size of the private rented sector.