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15:22 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago 86
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The Renters Reform Coalition is encouraging tenants across England to contact their MPs to support the Renters’ Reform Bill.
The coalition, which includes housing sector organisations, charities, and partners like Big Issue, aims to bolster tenants’ rights and bring about ‘meaningful change’ in the rental market.
To garner support, tenants are encouraged to email their MPs, requesting their attendance at the Bill’s second reading.
According to Shelter’s Polly Neate, the coalition has recommended several amendments to the Bill to fortify tenants’ rights and ensure the legislation possesses the ‘teeth needed for real change’.
And part of the call includes having landlords pay the tenant TWO MONTHS rent to find somewhere new to live AND move home.
The coalition is also calling for the imposition of a one-year ban on re-letting a property after a landlord uses a no-fault eviction – rather than the planned three-month ban.
Introduced last month, the renter reforms seek to abolish section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions so landlords cannot possess a property without providing a reason.
The Bill also aims to grant tenants more power to own pets and enhance the quality of privately rented homes.
However, the coalition proposes that judges should have full discretion to determine whether an eviction is justified.
They also recommend instituting a cap on in-tenancy rent increases, tied to the lower of inflation or wage growth, to prevent rent increases being used as a covert eviction tactic.
Landlords and letting agents might also be surprised at the demand from Generation Rent that a landlord pays their tenant two months’ rent to help them find a new place to live and move home.
And the groups says that landlords who want to sell will have to list the property for sale with a sitting tenant for six months before seeking an eviction.
As part of the campaign to get support, Shelter has launched a campaign for 5,000 supporters to email their MP and urge them to turn up for the Bill’s second reading.
The charity’s campaign page states: ‘By contacting your MP, you’re showing them just how important this bill is to you.
‘As their constituent, you have their ear, so adding your own story about why renting must be fixed will make your email even more powerful.
‘We need as many MPs as possible to turn up to the debate and demand for it to be focused on renters’ rights and as strong as possible.’
On Twitter, Ms Neate said: “This is not the time to relax on reform of private renting.
“There’s real danger of loopholes in the Renters Reform Bill that could undermine benefits of ending no-fault evictions.”
Along with improved tenant protections, the coalition is also calling for an extended eviction notice period of four months instead of the current proposal of two months.
It also suggests shielding renters from section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions during the first two years of a tenancy, as opposed to the proposed six months.
According to the coalition, these changes would offer a significant improvement over the existing system.
Crouchender
13:16 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 08/06/2023 - 11:53
Excellent rebuttal letter. As you know tenants have a right to live peacefully undisturbed and they need to grant permission for access.
Council Enforcement team are targeting/incentivised by the amount of penalties notices they dish out (councils keep that cash themselves) for minor issues to low hanging fruit Landlords who join the Selective Licence schemes.
Dodgy LLs (<5%- so 95% of us Low Hanging LLs get bad press) don't join any scheme or follow any regs. You see that all the time on the LL portals of fines for LLs unlicensed mainly in HMOs.
moneymanager
13:50 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Neil Fleetham at 08/06/2023 - 11:34
1930's Germany strongly advocated homeownership but ONLY of one property, so family centric were they that the state cancelled 25% of a mortgage on the birth of each child, sounds almost like a centre ground government than anything else, the rest, as they say, is propaganda.
GlanACC
16:45 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
As I want to sell up (6 properties left), I offered my tenants 10 months rent back to use as a deposit or move (I have assured them that I wont be asking them to leave). None of them took up the offer, and as one tenant of mine of 20 years said 'we like it here' and intend to retire here. Looks like my kids will inherit the LTD company my remaining properties are in then !
Ian Narbeth
16:47 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
If I could add some comments as a commercial property solicitor.
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, a business tenant is entitled to a new lease at the end of the fixed term. He will get a new lease, at the market rent, unless the landlord establishes one or more grounds of opposition. These include "fault" grounds such as persistent late payment of rent and serious failure to repair. There are two important non-fault grounds: that the landlord requires the premises for his own occupation and that he wants to redevelop and needs possession.
If the non-fault ground is made out the tenant will not get a new lease but is entitled to "statutory compensation" which is linked to the rateable value of the property. The rateable value can be about one year's rent. A tenant who has been carrying on business for up to 14 years receives 1 x the rateable value. Over 14 years and it is 2x.
If the Government had proposed that a landlord using s21 had to pay compensation linked to the rent paid, I think landlords could have lived with that. If landlords didn't or couldn't establish a "fault" ground, compensation would be payable. Perhaps one or two weeks' rent for every year of occupation by the tenant. It would be open to landlords to use s8 but if they did not (e.g. because of the problems proving anti-social behaviour) they could use s21 but at a known cost.
Instead, the Government is throwing the baby out with the bathwater by abolishing section 21 and everyone will lose apart from anti-social tenants who will be protected.
TheMaluka
16:54 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 08/06/2023 - 16:47
No problem there Ian, just make the landlord responsible for the behaviour of the tenant.
Dylan Morris
17:06 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
I think the Government hate landlords as much as they hate the Russians.
John
17:07 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 08/06/2023 - 16:47
As HMRC does not treat Private Landlords as a business you cannot compare it to Commercial tenancies.
Why should any landlord have to pay compensation if they want their property back for any reason?
The proposed renters reform bill is a shambles and will have unintended consequences that the next Labour Government will no doubt make even worse hastening the demise of the PRS.
Whenever any government interferes they invariably make things worse.
Dylan Morris
17:13 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by moneymanager at 08/06/2023 - 13:50Whilst in Russian everybody’s property was confiscated under communism. And yet Hitler is always the go to bogeyman not Stalin who seems to get off scot free. Hitler detested communism.
Ian Narbeth
17:30 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by John at 08/06/2023 - 17:07
OK John, it's all very well landlords here venting their spleen about how badly treated we are.
All I am saying is that if you could get a tenant out without giving a reason but have to pay something, landlords would be much better off than we will be with what is proposed..
Mary Afolabi
17:53 PM, 8th June 2023, About 11 months ago
Even if you increase the rent, 20% or 40% goes back to HMRC