An activist group says any future Labour government should introduce a beefed-up version of the Renters Reform Bill - whether or not the Bill itself is passed by the Conservative administration in the coming months.
The London Renters Union says Labour should commit to introduce a Section 21 eviction ban immediately, rather than waiting for court reforms as advocated by the current government.
It also says that in-tenancy rent caps should be introduced to “protect renters from eviction via unaffordable rent increase” and that tenants should be exempt from eviction under new rules - such as a landlord moving in or selling up - for two years, rather than six months.
The LRU also calls for unspecified “deterrents and enforcement preventing the abuse” of any revised eviction rules. It also wants “longer notice periods” - again without specifying what these should be.
The National Residential Landlords Association has already analysed Labour amendments to the existing Renters Reform Bill with a view to assessing what a future Labour government might do.
It says Labour’s proposed amendment to the current Bill would see the removal of Section 21 notices coming first, with court reform something that looked at after implementation.
Simultaneously Labour apparently has concerns about new grounds - suggested in the current Bill - regarding the grounds for a beefed-up Section 8. Its proposed amendments include calls to change the grounds in which a landlord intends to sell or move family member into the property, so that landlords cannot use it in the first two years of a tenancy, and it also wants to increase the notice required to four months from two.
Labour also want the landlord to offer the property for sale to the tenant before the sale ground can be used, and the introduction of a 'hardship test' to some mandatory grounds, providing the courts with discretion to refuse a possession order if they believed greater hardship would be caused to the tenant than the landlord.
Labour has also tabled amendments to strengthen the financial penalties for failing to sign up to the proposed Property Portal, and requiring landlords notify the Portal where they serve a possession notice.
The Renters (Reform) Bill already restricts landlords in relation to rent rises, by prohibiting the use of rent review clauses. Instead, landlords must give a Section 13 notice with at least two months notice if they plan to increase the rent.
Under Labour amendments, if the proposed increase is challenged by the tenant, a Tribunal would only be able to set the rent at the amount proposed by the landlord or lower. In addition, it also proposes rent increases would only take effect two months after the tribunal had made its decision.
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I think it’s an excellent idea if you are a moron if you want more housing their idea is to get rid of the supplier, how does that help ?.
They want housing quality and energy improvements I go along with that, can they help with an Incentive rather than a Penalty, so easy to achieve make refurbishment VAT exempt.
That is so obviously correct - there are different agendas at work I think. There has been an aim to get rid of small private landlords by some, but others, like Generation Rent and Shelter, want tenants to take control of the property of landlords.
The Labour Party hasn't said what their aims are, other than to try to be more anti-Landlord than the Conservatives.
As for energy improvements, of course there is the issue of global warming, but my first priority in every circumstance has been to make the flats comfortable and affordable for my tenants. If I carry on letting (and I don't know whether to) then I will have rents that are all inclusive of gas, electricity and water. It really doesn't cost much at all to do that. The company "Huddle" is the answer to all inclusive prices and unlimited usage for utilities.
The first part of this article is exactly what I think Labour will do 😬👎🏻. It’s irrelevant what the Conservatives do or say they will do, they will NOT be in power.
As predicted by many, these Labour proposals amount to ‘sequestration’ in all but name.
It’s now crystal clear that a LLs right to freely sell will be lost.
This is frightening but the saddest point is that bth Labour and Conservative governments have failed for 30 years to build enough Social Housing. The Private Sector should not be for the long term housing of the poor. Lack of social hosing plus the lazy policy of paying rent benefits (formerly Housing Benefit) on size of property rather than quality has encouraged slum landlords at tte bottom 25% of the market. The other 75% and those good landlords who rent to benefit claimants but maintain their property are now all having to suffer as we have effective control of our property hijacked.
I like hardship test for possession. 🤬 The courts will always sympathise with the tenants, not the landlords.😡
Labour's RRB will be far worse, I can see a total eviction ban both sec 21 and sec 8, so some tenants will just stop paying their rent as there will be nothing legal we can do about it, I'm now insisting on guarantors for all new tenants so at least I have someone else to go after and bankrupt them if need be
I note NRLA are keeping silent as usual!
Beadles About with Gove on another liquid lunch paid for by the taxpayer....
Wonder if the rules will apply to the big boys
Doubt it very much
Labour and tories two sides of the same corrupt coin
I trust it will apply to Social Housing as well.
😂🤔😂
People who take the wait and see approach, will dearly regret their inaction now.
When ordinary people realise that they have to donate their homes to strangers for unlimited period of time and virtually watch how their lifesaving are diminishing in value, it might be too late.
If most of us decide that it’s indeed idiotic renting homes and politely ask the tenants to either buy themselves a house or rent somewhere else , there likely would be nothing available to rent so removing them from a property will be absolutely mission impossible.
It’s terrifying what’s coming.
All mine being sold as they become empty - I have no desire to operate in this environment.
The problem with waiting for tenants to leave is the risk of becoming ‘trapped in’ by Labour’s policies.
I understand the human wish to avoid evicting good tenants though. It’s a real dilema and it sucks!
I agree with AJR, if we wait they may not leave at all or at least until Labour bring in their socialist policies 🥵
Did you see ITV News last night the huge number of C/tax payers in arrears, they can’t pay the C/tax how are they going to pay the Rent. The Mayor their friend that’s going to solve all has increased his take of their C/tax 71%.
He is all going to solve the Housing Crisis if Re-elected imagine that. He had 2 Terms already so he had plenty time & opportunity to have dealt with it before now ?.
Activist. Translation; bored and nothing better to do. Lives off our taxes.
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