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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Section 21 WILL be abolished says Truss in new U-turn

Prime Minister Liz Truss says Section 21 eviction powers WILL be scrapped after all.

She made the explicit commitment at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons this afternoon.

This appears to be another Truss U-turn following a government leak to The Times yesterday.

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The newspaper had been told that the plans were no longer considered a priority and could be killed off entirely, despite being a manifesto commitment.

Steven Swinford, political editor at The Times, tweeted: “Liz Truss is shelving Michael Gove’s plans to end no-fault evictions, which were due to be introduced in this Parliamentary session.

“The Times has been told that they are not considered a priority and could be killed off entirely, despite being a manifesto commitment.”

The possibility that the commitment to scrap Section 21 might be dropped provoked anger from some quarters of the property industry establishment and anti-landlord activists alike. 

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health had expressed its anger that the government may be about to do a U-turn on its commitment to abolish Section 21 eviction powers for letting agents and lkandlords.

The CIEH had previously welcomed the government’s commitment to ending S21 amongst other measures claimed to improve housing standards, contained in the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill. 

Speaking before the Truss U-turn Ross Matthewman, head of policy and campaigns at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said: “This is incredibly bad news for renters.

“It’s been a long three years since the UK government first announced its intention to ban no-fault evictions, and the measures outlined in the Queen’s Speech earlier this year pointed to real progress. Reports that these proposals could now be dropped are deeply worrying.

“Instead of shelving these plans, the government should keep its word to end no-fault evictions and require genuine grounds for repossession of tenanted property.

“Eviction causes enormous financial hardship and damages mental health. Renters should not be evicted unnecessarily or forced out under false pretences, for example because they have challenged poor housing standards.

“The government has previously recognised that a ban on no fault evictions is needed to level the playing field between landlord and tenant.

“We are calling on the government to stick to its commitments.”

Meanwhile the Nationwide had also spoken out against the U-turn.

Rachael Sinclair, Nationwide's Director of Mortgages and Financial Wellbeing, said: "If the government fails to push ahead with the proposals outlined in the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper, it will miss a vital opportunity. 

“Rental regulations are crying out for an overhaul and now is the time to act as the cost-of-living crisis further exacerbates the challenges facing the sector, primarily poor conditions. 

“Dropping the proposals at this point is short-sighted, and will only add to people’s concerns during what remains a worrying time for many."

Generation Rent, the group that is led by former Labour peer Baroness Alicia Kennedy, has started a lobbying campaign for activists to lobby their MPs. 

The campaign says on its website: “These reforms would give renters more certainty over their home and more power to complain. And they are so close to being achieved.  The Conservatives' commitment to abolish section 21 evictions was made in April 2019. It was in the 2019 election manifesto. It was confirmed by two Prime Ministers at three Queens’ Speeches. Politicians need to stand up for renters today.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    They are going to lose a lot of tax revenue by abolishing Section 21 - and the economy of this country is collapsing, as it is.

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    Either way someone will be angry.
    Who is more important landlords and their tenants or activists who don't have a clue about providing homes for people?

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    Pathetic from Liz Truss, just like the rest of them....zero backbone! The politics of envy win again... such politics will bankrupt this country.
    Tenants will now face dwindling supply and even higher rents. Congratulations Baroness Kennedy up there in your ivory tower. The ensuing crisis of homelessness is on you.

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    She’s going to be abolished when we get our voting cards.

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    Lizz Truss only does U turns

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    However disappointing this is it's a bit unfair to accuse Liz Truss of making a U-turn. As far as I'm aware this was a rumour started by a Times journalist yesterday. It wasn't a proper government announcement. We clearly don't like her announcement today but do we really want journalists to dictate government policy just because they're a bit light of news and need a few column inches?
    If anything Liz Truss is sticking with a previous policy suggestion that still hasn't been properly debated and formalised. There's supposed to still be room for fine-tuning.

     
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    You are right, Jo, that they could modify the rental reforms as documented in the White Paper so that they are acceptable to landlords, but I am not holding my breath that they will do that. Liz Truss seems to be receiving poor advice.

     
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    Surely this is fantastic news! The real misery will begin if Labour comes to power. Expect eviction bans and rent controls. Not even social housing operates those. In fact, the most evictions come from the social sector, but the woke brigade forgets to mention that fact! I'm just glad of the reprieve to sell some more of the portfolio.

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    • G W
    • 12 October 2022 15:11 PM

    When is it effective from?

     
  • John  Gogarty

    Lizzy truss has clearly been a ' sleeper ' for the lefties. Her only game plan was to ruin the Tory party and get the lefties in for 20 years....I'm selling up ASAP...enough is enough...I have one rental already running at a £5000 a year loss...

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    We have no party to vote for…. Labour or New Labour…. I’m actually thinking of emigrating. I’ll take my money with me of course before the left decide to ‘reclaim it’ in anyway and give it to my c*** Nigerian tenant who’s only came here to live on benefits in the first place as she is ENTITLED TO of course!

    We need another Maggie.

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    To be honest if Liz didn't scrap sec21 in 2 short years labour would have done so.

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    That's true, Andrew, so it just becomes a question of taking measures to protect our interests sooner rather than later.

     
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    S8 & waiting for the Court to process with mediation beforehand will make a landlords life murder trying to get rid of rogue tenants. WE NEVER WANT TO GET RID OF GOOD TENANTS. Why aren't they focusing on how to address rogue landlords & rogue tenants & leave the good landlords & tenants alone.

  • Rik Landlord

    Time to move abroad some place with landlords rights are priority over tenants rights.

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    That's not another U-turn....it's a tailspin.

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    • Joe
    • 12 October 2022 14:46 PM

    Voting Tory has blown up in your faces hasnt it lol.

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    • G W
    • 12 October 2022 15:17 PM

    Yes but it could’ve been a lot worse voting for Corbyn… lol thankfully he got historical battering Lololololol

     
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    Worst Tory government in living memory - none of them would keep their jobs in the private sector

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    • G W
    • 12 October 2022 15:16 PM

    I’m sad to say I agree with you as I had high hopes for Liz thinking she could be another Maggie but she’s just given keys for number 10 to Labour.

     
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    LT is apparently a graduate of the WEF Global Leaders Program. Keeping Klaus happy and following the agenda will be the priority.

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    Without Section 21, it’s not a viable business, if S21 didn’t exist none of you would have been a landlord. That’s clear enough remove it so it’s end of.
    Landlords keep selling no choice, keep Serving S.21 let them house them we can’t do it or operate under this duress, I built most of mine by my own hand I would rather raise them to the ground. They just don’t get it or know the vast different between financing/ supplying a property to the market and walking in off the Street taking full control of the property then stay as long as you like. This is not on.

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    You are 100% right Michael!

     
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    Not that I would but I have
    Thought about how to get out of being a landlord when the goverment tries to stop you. One house I have literally thought about reversing a truck into the house so it’s structurally unstable and get it condemned, petrol bombing it or defaulting on the mortgage.

    What terrible thoughts but the goverment has no respect for private property. They think they and the tenants can take
    It over. I’m getting out.

     
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    My wife wants to tender for the contract to reverse into your property.

    She demolished one of our gate pillars - and that was going frontwards!

     
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    Robert, my youngest daughter reversed into my garden wall, then after rebuilding it I reversed a trailer into it, embarrassing !

     
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    Can’t even look at the telly now had to switch it off. Shelters Policy Manager on BBC News on about scrapping Section 21.
    Why is she given airtime they don’t supply any housing.
    Why weren’t anyone representing landlords on the program.

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    Never watch BBC, can't stand them

     
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    The BBC coverage has been very unfair, and rather ignorant, in relation to this matter.

     
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    Whilst I find the BBC very left wing, Channel 4 is even worse.

    I now watch GBNews but need to remind myself that the whole world doesn't necessarily think as sensibly as the views expressed on it.

     
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    • G W
    • 12 October 2022 17:18 PM

    I now have two concerns, 1. when is it effective from?.....will I have enough time to sell as a forthcoming Labour Government looks on the cards and all the nightmares that they will bring.

    Secondly, has anyone else heard the rumours that CGT is to be increased to 'dissuade' and tie in landlords from leaving the PRS?....this is their only weapon remaining of controlling landlords.

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    Oh well, I had intended to sell up anyway, so a brief image of a sunny uplands yesterday 😂😂, now back to the stark fact of mass sell offs, higher rents, and the councils being overrun by desperate ex tenants 💀💀🌈🌈

  • David Saunders

    There is little or no possibility of renters voting Tory at next GE and I doubt any landlords, ex landlords or agents would now even bother to vote.

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    Renters don't vote Tory. As a LL I won't vote for them either now. Back stabbers! Talk about desert your own voters.

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    I don't see the point of getting too annoyed by this article. We should have known better than to have been mis-led by a journalist. LT is only getting a battering due to the language that the media use now. Her Chancellor for me has to answer more. I will reserve judgement until 31st October.
    It got messy when LT lightly threatened to remove the mandate from Bank of England over independence on setting interest rates, as the Government did not want rates to keep going up. This poor interaction between BOE and Government spooked the markets and here we are. The energy intervention should see inflation fall back, but we won't see this until December. Hopefully then we can have a more responsible reaction from our media.
    We know about the proposals for this Rental Reform, a lot of us are taking action accordingly, me included. We know how this will negatively effect tenants as we will be leaving. That said I have some excellent tenants and I hope to continue with my partnership with them, but once they leave then the house will be sold.
    Likewise, I have no idea whom to vote at the next GE, how some tories have acted is beyond belief, Gove being one of the nastier ones, though I never did like him. But some of the others have surprised me, just goes to show they were in it for themselves.
    I don't blame those whom have said they will pack their bags and live elsewhere. Currently it's a mess.

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    • G W
    • 13 October 2022 06:31 AM

    A good reasoned post

     
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    So the activists and housing charities get to celebrate today - they’ll certainly have a healthy stream of customers for the foreseeable future.
    Tenants get to commiserate tomorrow (they don’t know it yet, but further shortages are now guaranteed).
    Property investors will either cash in their chips and bow out, or will be rewarded with higher rents and their pick of the very best and most credit worthy tenants.

    Sadly, by far the biggest loser in all this will be tenants.

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    • G W
    • 13 October 2022 06:33 AM

    Does anyone know when this is effective from?….. need to plan and spread out selling up

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    I don't think it's even on the parliamentary timetable yet.

     
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    The Rental Reform is expected to be fully implemented, whatever the final draft is, will be likely in 2024. Therefore for those of us whom wish to sell with that in mind should be ok.
    Of more concern is the mortgage situation. The ability for first time buyers and others to get mortgages is currently under pressure, if the rates rise this will only get worse. Therefore to sell we may have to trim the price of your property, though I do not see a crash.
    As already posted I have a property going on sale in Nottingham next week and another in Bedford going to auction on 2nd November. I will update on this forum to give a first hand account and also state how the auction process went in case fellow LL are interested.

     
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