Plans to make the private rented sector in England fairer have taken another step forward with a Government White Paper set to be published on Thursday. It means tenants will ultimately have more power to challenge landlords over poor practise and unjustified rent increases under the new proposals.
Under the plans it will also be illegal for landlords or their agents to ban renting to families with children or anyone who is on benefits. It is called The Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper and the Government has said it marks a generational shift with the aim to redress the balance between landlords and tennants across the country.
It will also see the decent homes living standard extended to the private sector. That means that homes need to be free from serious health and safety hazards and homes must be kept in a good state of repairs, reports Wales Online.
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The "no fault" section 21 evictions allows landlords to end tenancies without any notice and given reason will be outlawed under the new proposals. The Government has said that more than a fifth of private renters who moved house in 2019 and 2020 did not move by choice.
Along with these changes a new Private Renters' Ombudsman will be made and they will enable disputes between the private renters and landlords to be sorted quickly at a relatively low cost to stop cases going to court. The new measures will also help the landlords gain possession of their property in an effective way from anti-social tenants, it has been confirmed by the Government.
The new changes don't end there; a new property portal will be created to help landlords understand and then comply with their responsibilities and it will give councils and tenants more information in a bid to tackle rogue landlords. All of the new measures will be part of the Renters Reform Bill that was announced in the Queen's Speech during the opening of Parliament.
The Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove has said: “For too long many private renters have been at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords who fail to repair homes and let families live in damp, unsafe and cold properties, with the threat of unfair ‘no fault’ evictions orders hanging over them. Our new deal for renters will help to end this injustice by improving the rights and conditions for millions of renters as we level up across the country and deliver on the people’s priorities.”
The Government has said whilst most private rented homes are of good quality, offering sale, and are comfortable for families more than half a million properties have an imminent risk to tenants' health and safety. Polly Neate is the chief executive of Shelter and they said: “The Renters Reform Bill is a game changer for England’s 11 million private renters.
"Scrapping unfair evictions will level the playing field. For the first time in a long time, tenants will be able to stand up to bad behaviour instead of living in fear. This White Paper promises people safety and security in their home, and it makes clear that landlords need to play by the rules.
"Gone will be the days of families being uprooted and children forced to move school after being slapped with a Section 21 no-fault eviction for no good reason. As these plans move through Parliament, they’ve got to keep their teeth to drive up standards and professionalise private renting.
"For every renter trapped in a never-ending nightmare of moving from one shoddy rental to the next, the Renters’ Reform Bill cannot come soon enough.” Ben Beadle is the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said: “Whilst headline commitments to strengthening possession grounds, speedier court processes and mediation are helpful, the detail to follow must retain the confidence of responsible landlords, as well as improving tenants’ rights.
“We will be analysing the Government’s plans carefully to ensure they meet this test. A failure to do so will exacerbate the housing crisis at a time when renters are struggling to find the homes they need.
“The eventual legislation needs to recognise that government actions have led to a shortage of supply in the sector at a time of record demand. It is causing landlords to leave the sector and driving up rents when people can least afford it.” Alicia Kennedy, director of Generation Rent, said: “Without proper safeguards we could still see thousands of tenants facing the hardship of unwanted moves, and more staying quiet about disrepair out of fear of a retaliatory eviction.
“If the Government can get the details right and give tenants the confidence they need to request improvements and plan for the long term, this legislation has the potential to improve the lives of millions throughout England.”
Councillor David Renard, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said: “Removal of ‘no fault evictions’ is a key step towards increased protection for private renters and will allow renters to challenge poor practice and unfair rent increases without fear of eviction. It will also be important that landlords are able to get their properties back in a timely fashion where they have a valid reason to do so.”
Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow levelling up and housing secretary, said: “More security for renters is welcome, but action is needed now, not after yet another consultation. While the Government has dithered and delayed, rents and evictions have shot up.
“Labour is calling for emergency legislation to immediately end no-fault evictions and give people more security in their home.”
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