The British Property Federation has formed a new committee that will focus on promoting the emerging build-to-rent sector to the public, local councils and to ministers.

The committee will be chaired by Andrew Stanford, UK residential fund manager at LaSalle Investment Management and former head of the government’s Private Rented Sector Taskforce.

Adam Russell, acquisitions manager at FizzyLiving, will act as vice-chair.

The BPF said: “At a time when the housing crisis is acute and private renting has overtaken the social housing sector as the second largest tenure in the England, the committee will reinforce the important role that build-to-rent can play in increasing housing supply and tenant choice.

“It will work to ensure that both local and central government continue to support the sector, and create the right conditions to encourage investment and speed up delivery of this new housing product.”

Stanford said: “Build-to-rent fits so well with so many of the new government’s priorities, delivering new supply of quality rented homes, accelerating the speed of housing development, making good use of brownfield sites, and meeting customer needs.

“There are many innovators in this new market and I am so pleased we have brought many of them together, in this new group, to drive that important dialogue with local and national government forward.”

Members of the committee include representatives of Knight Frank and Savills.