A newspaper reports that Housing Secretary Michael Gove is willing to rely on Labour votes to pass the Renters Reform Bill - even if that splits the Conservatives in the Commons.
The Sun claims the Bill - which still awaits its Third Reading in the Commons, having passed previous readings and the Committee Stage several weeks ago - may well return to the Commons after Easter.
However it is known that a growing number of Tory MPs are opposed to the measure, which they believe contains elements which may result in a smaller private rental sector and higher rents.
Gove and the government’s junior housing spokesperson Jacob Young are working with the backbench Tory MPs to find a compromise, although this has proven impossible during several weeks of discussions so far.
The Sun says: “Whitehall insiders say the PM doesn't want to face the embarrassment of Tory MPs voting against the government. A source close to Mr Gove said: ‘Michael is focussed on working with backbench colleagues, No10 and the whips to get the bill back ASAP and deliver the manifesto commitment.’”
The Sun continues: “A government source said: ‘It’s a complex area, and we’re working through with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Labour are in a right mess over housing, stopped houses ready to go being built and Sadiq Khan wants failed rent controls which would make things so much worse for renters. Labour hasn’t got a scooby.’”
The newspaper adds that if talks within the Parliamentary Conservative party collapse, the Bill would still return to the Commons with Gove pushing ahead and relying on Labour MPs’ votes to ensure a majority.
The most prominent opponent of the Bill in the Commons is Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall, who is not a landlord himself.
Ironically, he says he supports scrapping Section 21 eviction rights, a central part of the Bill. But he claims many Tories are furious about the Bill also banning fixed-term rental tenancies and replacing them with periodic tenancies that don’t have an end date.
Mangnall has been quoted in the Sun in recent days saying: “I want to amend the Bill not to kill it. It’s my role as a legislator to ensure we pass sensible legislation. We’ve had constructive meetings with Michael Gove. This is about trying to find the right balance.”
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Proof if it were needed that political choices are a sham
All wef puppets pushing the same agenda
We need guy Fawkes
Guido missed a golden opportunity 🔥 . 💣
So a Tory MP can’t get the support of his own party. So he needs to rely on lefty Labour to vote for his proposals. That’s because they are not Tory-like policies but Labour-like. Michael Gove belongs in Labour with his ideas not the Tories.
This is all dreadful legislation.
Awful legislation Nick - with no thought given to consequences. Perhaps Gove is worried about losing his seat at the next election. Perhaps he should defect to Labour if they will have him!
It is awful legislation because it is tremendously unfair legislation.
I think Gove belongs in the Labour party. What the hell is he doing knocking out policies like this as a Tory?
Nick: Spot on as usual.
Gove is the prime example of a Minister who is out of his depth, if the BBC ever wants to do a remake of "Yes! Minister" he's your Jim Hacker.
Gove doesn't know what he's doing and realising it's too complex for his limited capabilities, he's playing Hot Potato in the hope that Labour end up the ones having to deal with it and catching the fall out of the consequences of increased rents, massive drop in supply and complete collapse of the social housing sector as it finally becomes overwhelmed with the beach arrivals and the existing wait list.
I don't believe there was a manifesto commitment to end the private rental sector.
A ban on the ability to end a long-term periodic tenancy with a Section 21 notice may have been in the manifesto, but I don't think that there was any commitment to end mutually agreed fixed term tenancies where Section 21 doesn't apply at all in relation to revenge evictions.
The manifesto pledge specifically relates to revenge evictions and rogue landlords, and therefore has no relationship to fixed term tenancies. If anything, they committed to making it easier for landlords to get their properties back at the end of a fixed term. Obviously, no fault evictions are not applicable, by definition, to fixed term tenancies.
They stated in their manifesto:
"We will bring in a Better Deal for Renters, including abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions and only requiring one ‘lifetime’ deposit which moves with the tenant. This will create a fairer rental market: if you’re a tenant, you will be protected from revenge evictions and rogue landlords, and if you’re one of the many good landlords, we will strengthen your rights of possession."
The commitment was hijacked by extremists.
Ellie, didn't the government say that they are reducing CGT from 28% to 24% as they wanted landlords to sell? But they did this after slashing the personal tax free allowance, so it was no incentive to sell.
I really think that the RRB is going to be bad for both Landlords and tenants, it's pushing the PRS back to pre Thatcher times.
Surely as the news agency's state more landlords selling and rents increasing gives an idea of what is going on?
In the last year or 2 I've had numerous tenants and other people asking if I have any houses to rent as their friends landlord was selling the house.
Due to EPC C, Ive been trying to sell 2 of my houses to tenants, but they are not in a position to buy them, I don't want to evict them, so I still reluctantly have them.
I don't think this is just propaganda as I now have numerous people asking me for houses and my information has not been hacked by extremists.
The loss of S21 could be detrimental to landlords that need it. I dont believe the government has the ability (or will) to upgrade the court system to take on cases.
Maybe the conservatives want to pass it along to Labor, to make them look like the bad guys when they throw it through as a matter of urgency when they get in power next year.
I think that the conservatives already know they will not win the next general election.
They should stop fighting each other and work together, maybe they will stand a chance of getting back in power after Labor wreck the country, although they are going to have to try to ruin it more than the Tories have.
You are right that the government does seem to want to reduce the size of the private rental sector, but they are doing that without making provision for the people who are being made homeless. Labour is committed to building more homes, but that will take time. In the meantime, private sector landlords are needed, and therefore need to have the confidence to let their properties. The legal uncertainty means that many landlords don't now have that confidence.
If both parties would commit to allowing the retention of fixed term tenancies then the housing situation would improve and stabilise.
Gove can't stop all the MPs who are opposed to the Renters Reform Bill sending letters of no confidence to the 1922 Committee - and he must know that.
Under Labour, it’s coming, like the plague. In the government to come there could be below 130 Conservative MP’s 🫣. It will be simply brought in.
This clearly shows what LL's have known for years, politicians be they conservative of Labour don't have a clue what they are doing when it comes to housing.
This country has not built sufficient housing for more then 60 years (we have had multiple Labour and Conservative governments over this period, non of which have fixed the root cause). Planning regulations don't allow housing to be built in nearly sufficient numbers, planning applications get held up by endless NIMBY objections and local government special requirements that get in the way of building homes where and when they are needed.
Having messed up the building of homes for over 60+ years, now the politicians want to destroy the PRS by imposing over regulation, over taxations, rent controls, council licensing schemes and the RRB.
What the sector needs is the opposite, less regulation and more stability of policy and taxations that will encourage LL investment in the PRS. Margaret Teachers late 1980's BTL policy dramatically changed the rental market in the UK for one reason, it gave LL's the CONFIDENCE to invest.
LL's today have no CONFIDENCE to invest and they are constantly threatened with the loss of control over their own property, excessive regulation, more cost to do business and excessive taxation. Why would any LL in his right mind invest in the PRS today, most LL's want to get out not in to the sector!!
If the government wants to improve PRS property availability and reduce rent prices, then it is really simple give LL's a reason for confidence to invest, stop messing about and damaging the sector it helping nobody least of all the tenants you are suggesting you want to help.
Great post, spot on, 100% agree.
I have one property empty since June. I have NO CONFIDENCE TO RE-LET under the Tories. Labour perhaps only can be worse ;)
I've saved up enough money to buy 2 more houses, but looking at the last years circus, it's now sat in a 12 month bond in a bank earning 5%. Much safer than buying 2 more rentals until we see how much Labor will crucify us.
I get weekly calls from various estate agents in my area, seeking rental property. Rental demand is very high in our area, properties are gone with in a couple of days of being listed. I also get calls from estate agents seeking buyers for available property.
Given the demand, I was planning to purchase up to 3 more BTL properties to add to our portfolio. However watching the political BS being talked, rent caps, increased regulation, EPC requirements, RRB, licensing schemes etc and now the very significant danger of a labour government, I have absolutely no confidence to invest further and have put everything on hold.
The anti LL rhetoric from Shelter, GR, and all the other tenant advocate groups along with both the conservative government and god forbid what life will be like for LL's if the labour party getting into power, this has driven me put our money elsewhere, until such time as somebody gives us the confidence to risk investing in BTL sector further.
Let's see if the government (which ever party that might be) starts to look at the simple economics for LL's rather than playing for populist support, from people who haven't put any of their hard earned money on the line like LL's have be doing.
I still have hope that with the conservatives committing electoral suicide and Labour facing Muslim candidates, that REFORM will get the votes. People do not answer honestly in political polls - I know I don't. You can forget about the Lib Dems, they are as irrelevant as they have been for the last forty years.
I also was planning to buy more, the money is sitting there waiting, but right now is not a wise time to be buying more
In the past I know the view tended to be if you did not vote for say the conservatives you were handing the election to Labour. But as I told our local cons mp this is not a cons party I recognise or that supports traditional conservative values so i will not vote for them again. If Labour are going to get in anyway lets frighten the conservatives into understanding they no longer have the vote of their traditional core supporters and vote reform
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