The Renters Reform Bill is to get its long awaited Second Reading on Monday, October 23.
The claim comes from the Financial Times which exclusively reports that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has given it his personal blessing to resume its progress through Parliament.
Some commentators claimed that a number of backbench Tory MPs were effectively vetoing the Bill but the FT reports: “Michael Gove, levelling-up secretary, is understood to have won the internal battle over the legislation and it will now have its crucial second reading in the House of Commons on Monday.
“There will then be a ‘carry-over motion’ which will allow the bill to make it through into the next parliamentary session that begins with the King’s Speech on November 7. “
Polly Neate, chief executive of campaigning charity Shelter, is quoted by the FT as saying: “Every day 540 people are slapped with a no-fault eviction notice and given just two months to find a new home. For them, needless delays and hold-ups to making renting safer and fairer are unacceptable.
“A robust Renters (Reform) Bill has the potential to free people from the constant threat of a no-fault eviction. It would reduce homelessness and hold landlords who let out unsafe homes to account.”
The Bill delivers the Tories’ 2019 manifesto commitment to abolish section 21 evictions which will - in the government’s words - “empower renters to challenge poor landlords without fear of losing their home. “
The new Bill also claims to “protect” over two million landlords, making it easier for them to recover properties when they need to – so they can sell their property if they want to, move in a close family member, or when tenants wilfully do not pay rent.
Notice periods will also be reduced where tenants have been irresponsible – for example breaching their tenancy agreement or causing damage to the property.
There will also be a “reformed courts process … for the minority of evictions that do end up in the courts, more of the process will be digitised – reducing delays.”
A new mandatory Ombudsman for landlords will be introduced while a new digital Property Portal will list landlords’ obligations “and help tenants make better decisions when signing a new tenancy agreement.”
Tenants will also be given the legal right to request a pet in their home, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.
Landlords will be able to require pet insurance to cover any damage to their property.
The government will also bring forward legislation as part of the Bill to:
- apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time;
- make it illegal for landlords and agents to have blanket bans on renting to tenants in receipt of benefits or with children:
- strengthen councils’ enforcement powers and introduce a new requirement for councils to report on enforcement activity.
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Here we go folks 🤔🤔🆘🆘☠️☠️
Today I informed my letting agency that enough is enough and I will be selling up as soon as my current tenant leaves next month, which is when his tenancy agreement expires. He has already given notice that he won't be renewing it. I am done, done, done with all these so-called "do-gooders" and Government interference. Hopefully I can sell before next April when I'll have even more CGT to pay.
So, one less rental home on the market which means that my lettings agents will have less income from me, so there will be less tax that they'll need to pay. A Government own goal, methinks, and it will be tenants who will ultimately suffer as rents spiral - simple economics: supply and demand.
We had a tenant give notice the other day so another property to sell. Hopefully that will be 4 down and two to go.
Same here, property sold and will no longer be a rental. Osborne, Gove and many local authorities have created the conditions for sky rocketing rents in many areas. How long before someone has the brilliant idea of Rent Tribunals? After all they were an abysmal failure in the 70's, so what could go wrong?
Angela Rayner is what could (will) go wrong.
Give it a rest Polly you lefty marxist property owner hater champagne socialist.
You have already and will make thousands of tenants homeless. Chalk up another two Section 21s. Because of you and your kind.
John Chart sobs!
There will be nobody left to compose and disseminate these entertaining posts!
Go and put the kettle on Polly and celebrate a job well done. You wanted rid of landlords and we are all duly obliging.
Great news for landlords. Easier evictions If it ever happens! More landlords leaving the market because of the RRB so less competition and possibly higher rents. I predict that abolition section 21 will not reduce the amount of evictions as if all the landlords are like me, I only evict for cause, which is mostly wilfully refusing to pay rent.
The reality is there are very few rogue landlords. There are thousands of rent dodging tenants. Will this fact ever see the light of day? It will be interesting to see how the evidence of the scale of rent dodging, if it is ever brought to light is explained away. Then again, it is already being explained away as the rent was unaffordable or disrepair justified the tenant not paying the rent. Will this lead to demands for stricter control on landlords and rent controls?
You only have to watch “Britain’s housing crisis what went wrong?” On BBC 2 last night to see how the problems with housing market are so misrepresented and distorted.
JimHaliburton TheHMODaddy
And what about the tenants who deliberately cause damage and disrepair to lower their rent or try for compensation?
Yes Nick
💀
That’s a big rush to get it through they know the tide was turning and the Public beginning to realise what is happening.
Poly Neate now confirming she has caused 540 people a day to be made homeless through Landlords no fault eviction (no fault of landlords) and another step to appropriate landlords Private Property. The Bill doesn’t make any meaningful provision to get your let Properly returned Vacant other than to Sell, which is derisory, then you have forced Sale and you are definitely out of the business for good, no way back either when the Revenue have taken another lump as a thank you for your years of Service.
The Big Boys are taking over with the help of Shelter, the homeless Charity is the correct name it makes people homeless.
Think Polly needs to go and check her maths as they seem to be all over the place. It is now 540 and the other week it was every three minutes which is 480...???
Yesterday it was 30 charities going on about this? Actually I would like to know how much of the donations gets to the 'Cause'
Jim, there will be competition but unfair competition from the Big Boys as now they will have their own rules to favour themselves but you will have to comply with nonsense.
Look around you millions of Flats going up to replace us, we are only collateral damage, the Concrete mixer cannot be stopped.
The big boys will only build in the cities and will not be interested in building blocks of flats in the little rural town I rent out in. The little landlords are getting out and no one coming in to replace them.
The Big Boys are slowing down! Reported yesterday, BTR investment levels falling to 2019 levels.
Right let me see at a glance without digging for stats.
Hanger Lane, in the middle of the roundabout 3 multi storey interconnected Student Tower Blocks next to Station as always 600 flats, site bought at Auction for a pittance. Then on to B & Q old place 435 flats, then next door almost loads more flats, the next door again huge block again and btw gone back to cladding again, other side of junction old Bus Depot hundreds of flats under construction like 4 inter connected Blocks each one higher than the next, then up Ealing Road, Alperton to Mount Pleasant and all the way back down to the North Circular again to Ace Caffe about a mile must be thousands there all industrial Estates in the back gone as well. Council have bought 2 Blocks/ 300 flats £85m the Developers shouldn’t have much trouble getting permission. Then near buy First Way near point one proposed 600 flats, of Course we had West Gate, Hanger Lane converted and 3 stories added, now high rise Office Blocks adjacent being demolished to Build more Multi Story Blocks of Flats… just one small area above not much more than half mile radius. The same happened every area of London and indeed every other Town & City. The Big Boys wants us out they want our Business being helped by Polly, they don’t care about the homeless their Rents are much higher and will be picking the cream, if you are on the Street stop there. I see a guy sleeping in his Van yesterday in Harrow so cold with blankets up on the windows, guess what the Traffic Warden slapped a Parking Ticket on him, so heartless.
There is both time to sell and time to change your letting model.
One thing is for certain and that is that history tells us that the majority of landlords do not let to tenants who will gain security of tenure, particularly when the rental return is less than that which can be obtained from other investments.
Capital value increase has always been the main reason to invest in property, but sitting tenants will dramatically reduce the capital value so letting property is not a viable business under those circumstances. And make no mistake, it is possible that the mandatory Section 8 ground to get your property back if you wish to sell will be removed or become discretionary with time.
The majority of landlords are aged over 55 so many of us can calculate how much money we will need for the necessities over the remainder of our lives, and how much stress we can take; being criminalised by legislation is not good for one's health.
It is certainly having an effect on my blood pressure and is causing arguments within my household.
Most……. Private landlords have provided a service to this country that the Gov should have been providing……. Safe warm homes!
Once Polly has destroyed the PRS and I refer particularly to PRS, small to medium portfolio landlords and not big corporates. Polly will move on to the Social housing sector and start campaigning for that, which in my opinion instead of desecrating the PRS that’s what she should have have been doing.
Section 21 has helped many otherwise intentionally homeless tenants get housed. Thanks to Polly those dodgy tenants that desperate landlords used S21 for speed to evict, will now have to go through court hearings and evictions and the huge scale of bad tenants either ASB or rent arrears will be laid bare they will never be rehoused. Along with the tens of thousands of tenants who begged their landlords for s21 because they just couldn’t afford the rent and the s21 is virtually the only route into social housing these days .
Prepare Britain for the worst homelessness on record.
Sadly on a personal level we won’t be investing any more money in providing homes for people it’s a major headache. A private business run by great caring people in exchange for a pension been turned into living nightmare with S24 and too much regulation.
At last, somebody who can see the future like I do. Many evicted tenants in future will have a label stuck on their back stating the reason for eviction. Why would any landlord take them on when there are plenty to choose from. Section 21 made it easier for rent dodgers, anti-social, property damaging renters to get a new tenancy as it was a No reason Given eviction NOT a no fault. Get your empty head around that Poly!
Ellie, I agree in part but a few things there.
(1) don’t want to sell.
(2) don’t want change model.
(3) don’t want Shelter making my business decisions.
(4) like many other landlords and Parents we don’t give a sugar about how much we
need to see us out, our concern is about the family members we leave behind to try put them on a stable footing.
I agree with all your points - 100%, Michael.
You are completely right that Shelter should stop interfering in a market of which they have very little understanding, and you are also doing the very decent thing in wanting to maximise what you can leave to your family. I feel exactly the same.
However, we have to live with the reality of what is happening - and make the best of it in our own interests and in the interests of our families.
I can appreciate LLDs wanting to leave something behind for family members, not just selling to get money to see them out.
But selling can have benefits for LLDs and the offspring they want to leave money/assets to, due to Inheritance Tax rules.
If you sell and give money to those you love (or pass property to them) and live for 7 years then that amount is free of IHT.
If your loved ones don't want to be a LLD, or can't handle the bureaucracy of selling up themselves (and especially the eviction beforehand) then you may be best to evict and sell yourself.
I see the RRB is to still allow eviction for selling up, but doubt if the other proposed ground of eviction -move in a close family member- would be of use to most of one's loved ones (unless they themselves were renting and weren't buying their own place).
So evict and sell, or evict and transfer title, would appear a sensible option at least in IHT terms.
My late father sensibly used the 7 year rule to the max, by careful planning getting in under the IHT threshold. My uncle didn't. (I dealt with both estates, without having to engage and pay for solicitors. The uncle's estate IHT cheque to HMRC was the biggest I've ever written, and so avoidable.)
And remember the Roy Jenkins quote about IHT: IHT is a voluntary tax, paid by those who trust their relatives less then the Inland Revenue.
BTW, leave a will: even if you are only worth tuppence; unless you hate all those you leave behind. My late partner didn't as she was in denial about terminal cancer. The (second) grief this caused was immense, and some of those left behind still won't talk to each other.
Well the abolition of Section 21 will show one thing that the likes of Polly won't be able to explain, and that will be why are evictions rising and rents increasing?
As others have said the increase in anti-social behaviour and even murder as was covered up in the media blackout in Hartlepool this week is going to eventually force a rethink. As my mortgages come to term, I'll think about my next steps but even the idiot Gove will come to realise that the legislation is a mistake; of course he still gets his pension after being booted out next year, but you can be sure Momentum are in waiting gunning for their off shore tax fiddles and holiday homes, I bet he didn't think of that...
One thing that intrigues me is that in my area it's a farming community and a number of farmers have mobile homes (ok freezing cold metal boxes) they use to house the pickers and cutters, potentially these farmers are now going to be stuck with folk in these mobile homes that have decided that jolly old England is the place to be, but cutting cauliflowers is not for me.....
How will this affect other tied properties such as Pubs and Holiday Parks? Can we now potentially do deals with employers that our properties only house tied workers - potentially creating a new form of servitude??
If you put money in a bank and cannot get it back then you don’t put it there. If you put money into property and cannot get it back then you will not put it into property. Simple. The buy to let sector is dead. It was already dying after George Osborne increased taxes on Landlords. They are just flogging a dead horse now.
One thing is for sure you don't put your money in the UK Banks especially with the champagne communists coming into power next year.
If you can't get out of the country then physical gold & silver is going to have to do, the working classes always kept some when I was a lad, so that when they popped their clogs it was all "dealt" with...
Tricia, the Big Boys are like Banks not allowed to fail.
John, send them Mobile Homes to Ireland they have large numbers of Ukraine’s living in Tents and Winter approaching rapidly, better to have stayed at home. Now must get on with my day and try to hang on to sanity.
So no comments allowed on tenants on benefits claiming more on legal aid, what I will say there is it just renforces the need to avoid renting to anyone on benefits NO DSS!
Probably because their servers would fill up too quickly. I note no extra help for landlords though.
Spot on!
Both Shelter and the Gov are shooting themselves in the foot here.
All the Landlords like myself who will now sell up putting more Tenants in need of accommodation. Rents will skyrocket but the Gov will lose out as their Tax Revenue from PRS declines.
There will always be rogue Landlords and rogue Tenants but Renter's Reform Bill is NOT the way to deal with matters. Just ask yourself: why isn't it called 'The Renter's and LANDLORD'S Reform Bill??????
I've noticed it. It's all out renters full stop. All far too risky now. I haven't bothered to read the RRB, just 1/2 last years White Paper for a laugh.
Henry S. my friend back after my day and soaking wet.
7 years rule no use to me I was determined to do this but had to back off, you are obviously talking about sensible people a
generation of a by gone age.
The way they were carrying on and rowing you’d wonder if they would still be together in 7 years time and that goes for family members and also their Partner’s. So there you have it and if I had given it then it would have encouraged a split, they’d be off with their tails in the air. I have learned that one similar to the Laws that causes Divorce. No Change that that 7 year rule to a System that works.
Money always causes trouble, Michael. I am not in the least surprised at your experiences.
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