Angela Rayner wants to ‘work in partnership’ with PRS landlords

The deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told delegates at the Labour Party conference that she wanted to ‘work in partnership’ with PRS and social landlords to deliver ‘decent and safe’ homes.

She said: “Many housing associations, councils and landlords do good by their tenants and I know how hard they’ve had it after 14 years under the Tories.

“Which is why I will work in partnership with the sector to deliver the change.”

Ms Rayner added: “Our renters’ bill will rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord and end no-fault evictions – for good.

“Our long-term plan will free leaseholders from the tyranny of a mediaeval system.

“And a cross-government taskforce will put Britain back on track to ending homelessness.”

Extend Awaab’s law to the PRS

She added: “I will clamp down on damp and mouldy homes by bringing in Awaab’s Law in the social rented sector this autumn and we’ll extend it to the private rented sector too.

“We will consult and implement a new Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes, to end the scandal of homes being unfit to live in.”

Along with a promise to enable social housing tenants to hold their landlord to account Ms Rayner lambasted the Tories for failing to build homes ‘year, after year’.

She said: “Michael Gove handed back nearly £2 billion to the Treasury in unspent housing funds. Mortgages have soared.

“Leaseholders are left at the mercy of eye-watering charges.

“Renters face crippling rent hikes in damp and mouldy homes. Homelessness is all around us.”

Fix the ‘Tories’ housing emergency’

Ms Rayner promised to fix the ‘Tories’ housing emergency’ and get Britain building decent homes for working people.

There will be a new planning framework to deliver affordable homes and deliver ‘the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation’.

She told delegates at the conference in Liverpool: “My mission is not just to build houses; it is to build homes.

“Because we cannot build at any cost. These new homes must be warm, secure and most importantly safe.”

Give landlords confidence

On Twitter/X, Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “These reforms at least give certainty, but must be very carefully balanced between giving renters greater security and landlords confidence to stay in the market.

“We are in the middle of a housing crisis with 21 applicants per property – this is unlikely to improve if there are not some modifications to the Bill on implementation, court reform, students and refinements to possession grounds.

“You cannot say you are giving landlords more robust grounds when the mandatory rent arrears ground will see a doubling of notice periods from two to four weeks, and three months of rent arrears not two. It sends the wrong message.”

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