But the scope of the government consultation actually announced is far more limited than the headline suggests. It does not cover all homes, or even all private-rented sector homes. It only covers, to quote the Budget document, "the conversion of unused space in commercial properties in high streets and town centres to residential use".
Moreover, it is far from clear that even this limited line of consultation will yield fruit. You might expect the self-invested personal pension (Sipp) industry to welcome any move to loosen the strict rules guiding qualifying investments. But the reactions I have solicited range from circumspection to outright opposition. "Anything with a bed has always caused problems," says Andy Bell, founder of Sipp provider AJ Bell and a particularly vocal critic of the reform.