A Labour MP has spoken of loopholes in the Renters Reform Bill - a narrative now being pursued by some activists who initially supported the government’s legislation.
Yvonne Fovargue, Labour MP for Makerfield, writes an article for the Wigan Today website with references to the need for the Bill to be toughened to counter what she varyingly calls “bad-faith landlords” and “ill-intentioned landlords.”
Fovargue - a shadow minister when Jeremy Corbyn was party leader, but now a backbencher - says the government must extend notice periods to a legal minimum of four months with what she calls “firm punitive measures for landlords who do not abide by the law.”
She also accuses the Bill of lacking support for local authorities “to act on injustices in their local private rented sector.”
She says she wants the Bill to strengthen enforcement powers, and to require councils to report on enforcement activity and allow them to cap the advance rent that local landlords can request.
“The government owes local authorities an explanation of why it has neglected to give them the means to ensure the new legislation is successfully enacted” she writes.
And while she concedes that landlords must be able to deal with antisocial behaviour or criminal activity by their tenants “the government must ensure that such exemptions cannot be exploited by bad-faith landlords to unjustly evict tenants.”
On the iconic issue of Section 21 eviction powers - abolished in the Bill - she says: “Even though the Bill provides steps towards scrapping section 21 evictions, there remain ways for ill-intentioned landlords to remove tenants unjustly.”
The Bill is currently awaiting its Second Reading in the House of Commons.
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‘ Remove a tenant unjustly’ eh ? 🤔 they have forgotten who is boss 🤴🏻. There is NEVER an instance where a tenant can be removed unjustly….. Because we own the bloody property !!
They have all lost sight of the fact that being a landlord is not compulsory - when letting property is too onerous and a very bad business decision then people will give up their business.
With reference to the article on renters lying, This is the second time in as many days that I haven't been able to see the comments, what is going on??
It just says "Comments have been disabled for this article and all previous comments are no longer being shown."
Whose leaving the comments that are causing this??
I came to this article to comment on that to. Perhaps it's the Acorn guy James Turner writing more strongly worded abusive articles defending tenants. I've never seen comments banned only on MSN.
Well said Nick, had enough of him the other night the workshy sandal wearing liberal. Should stick to slow marching or hugging trees the fool.
Well said Peter! As I said I would not engage further. As fun as it may be people come here mainly for help, advice and debate. He's talking about sucking d***..... Not worthy of my time!
If you want to leave a comment on that article, just leave it on a different article referring to the restricted one.
As I read all the articles, I would pick it up.
Kind of wanted to read other peoples comments first. I do think tenants are commonly not truthful about things like smoking and pets but you can understand they are desperate, we just have to be one step ahead.
Yes, I had a 'non smoker'. When he left, even after a professional clean, it still stunk of smoke. It was advertised as non smoking only. Even the letting agent did not report this to me during the regular inspections.
Has anybody else noticed that all the noise is coming from Labour MP's, looking forward to them being accountable for the decisions they will make.
Sad, There was a load of comments on that one, if they have taken them down, they were probably true.
I'm sure they were true, to some the truth hurts
And is Yvonne Fovargue at all concerned that the new bill will be exploited by bad-faith tenants to unjustly exploit good faith landlords?
Again, another MP expressing double standards when it comes to landlords and tenants.
Yes more air time on the BBC today about tenants being scammed. Nothing about landlords being scammed by dishonest tenants.
Yes Alan, Yvonne Foranargument will be right up for it getting all militant. Only putting one point of view across.
Has she spoken to any landlords who have had properties trashed? No probably not…
Another interest rate hike imminent tomorrow, it’s not working so let’s have some more.
Sorry Mr Gove & Mr Khan your Policies not plausible and needs to be reversed now before you cripple the Country.
Time for you both to go as you are the main drivers of this recession.
Stupid Government Policy’s how do you get those jobs, you stopped Landlords from buying kiss goodbye to your easy money double SDLT 6%, if the landlord had bought in the main you would have another 45% tax of to landlords profit from the rental income, without lifting a finger, then all that lovely from the licensing Schemes you imposed on him, but he will not be there so how will you get your easy penalty money.
So for Mortgage holders possibly your nonsense will add 5k pa to their bill where do they get this.
As for Mr khan he wants £12.50 pd ULEZ that you haven’t got that’s another £3k + pa.
That’s £8k plus increased cost of living.
Surely not a Recession with people like this in charge, was it to LSE you went ?.
He did but obviously didn’t pay attention as he was too busy ambulance chasing no win no fee illegals. Again more expense on the TAXPAYER..! He’s hooked on slapping them incessantly without doing anything himself.
Let us not speak about him dog walking with a fleet of Range Rovers
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