Renters (Reform) Bill passes its second reading without a vote

Renters (Reform) Bill passes its second reading without a vote

11:17 AM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago 16

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The Renters (Reform) Bill passed its second reading on Monday without a vote which means that the proposal to scrap Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, which allows landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason, is a step nearer.

However, this part of the Bill is likely to be delayed due to opposition from dozens of Tory MPs, who have urged the Government to drop or amend it.

The Government also confirmed it will not ban no-fault evictions until it has improved the justice system and the state of the courts, which are currently suffering from significant backlogs.

An unusually long delay before its second reading

The Bill was first introduced in May but has faced an unusually long delay before its second reading and the Telegraph has reported that the Government pressured rebels to skip or abstain from the vote, which the whips’ office denied.

Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, defended the Bill in the Commons, saying it would protect vulnerable renters from ‘unscrupulous landlords’ who use Section 21 as a weapon.

He said: “Conservatives exist to protect the vulnerable in society, to make sure markets work, and to save the taxpayer money.”

Watch Michael Gove introduce the Bill to Parliament and explain (from 18:07) that ‘good landlords’ have nothing to fear from the abolition of Section 21:

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/d16e5c64-bc30-4f57-83ce-a444baee70c8

Accused the Government of ‘foot dragging’

Angela Rayner, the Shadow Levelling-up Secretary, accused the Government of ‘foot dragging’ for almost five years on the Bill and said Tory MPs needed to be ‘appeased’ with more delays.

She said renters were at the ‘sharp edge’ of the current housing crisis and they needed more protections.

Marcus Fysh, the Conservative MP for Yeovil, criticised the Bill as a ‘disastrous’ piece of legislation for any renter who wanted a ‘well supplied housing market’.

And the independent MP for Islington North and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for rent controls to prevent people being forced out of their homes.

Pressure from Tory MPs to drop or amend the Bill

Over the last few months, there has been mounting pressure from Tory MPs to drop or amend the Bill.

One of them, Christopher Chope, is a leading rebel against the Bill and he told PoliticsHome he was ‘pretty much [in] despair’ and believed the proposed legislation was ‘essentially a socialist measure’.

There is growing discontent among those opposed to the Bill around Gove in particular, who they believe has pushed through the reforms regardless of their opposition.

Some are hoping that he is moved from the housing brief when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to reshuffle the Cabinet later this autumn and that his successor would be more approachable on rental reform.


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Comments

Martin Hicks

11:53 AM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

As a PRL I see this news as yet another example of confusion and dither by the present Government in nearby every proposal. Presumably it is intended to be part of the levelling up process, only to clobber the very people most likely to vote Tory - landlords!

Easy rider

12:00 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

I’m unlikely to vote Tory ever again because of the outrageous way they have mismanaged the economy and immigration.

The bill isn’t high on my list of concerns.

Whatever the bill does, I will own the properties. I’ll decide who lives in them, what they’ll pay and when they’ll leave. I have enough adult children and grandchildren that I could let each house to one of them.

If the government pushes me, I’ll push back harder.

Martin Hicks

12:14 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Easy rider at 24/10/2023 - 12:00
Just make sure you live long enough to gift the properties to your descendants well before you die - otherwise much of their value will disappear into inheritance tax.

Bernard Mealing

12:40 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Martin. Use Prop 118 and set it up as a trust.

job done. and sleep at night. well worth £400 to find out. and if you don't like it then they refund your money.

Jimmy Smith

13:09 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Easy rider at 24/10/2023 - 12:00
You may not get the chance if labour introduces tenant right to buy at a discount

Ray Guselli

13:40 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Hicks at 24/10/2023 - 12:14
DONE!!!!

Dennis Forrest

15:59 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

If the banning of no fault evictions has to wait until it 'has improved the justice system and the state of the courts, which are currently suffering from significant backlogs.' I would consider this to be on a similar kind of time scale to the dealing with the backlog in processing the 170,000 waiting immigrants.
Can't see this happening before the next election. Problem is that a new Labour government may try and bring reform bill in too early knowing full well that the courts can't cope.

PJB

17:38 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Jimmy Smith at 24/10/2023 - 13:09
If labour introduces tenant right to buy, we landlords will be forced into dealing with CGT issues with little or no means to plan or mitigate it!
Will HMRC cut a deal? Of course not. I can already see them salivating.

LL Minion

18:00 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by PJB at 24/10/2023 - 17:38
my tenants can't afford to put the gas on. Most have less then £500 in the bank and live from benefit payment to benefit payment. Can't see them having any chance of buying any property at any point in their lives.

Plus it will discount them from claiming....thats a gravy train! why would you do that?

LL Minion

18:09 PM, 24th October 2023, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Hicks at 24/10/2023 - 12:14
It cant be a gift if you still take some of the benefits/rent. You loose right to the income. No 7 year gifting rule when it comes to property.

A clear change of ownership on the deeds means you have to sell it to them at market rate - you pay GCT (if not your main home) and they pay stampy duty on the purchase. You both get screwed on tax

If you die and leave it to them they pay 40% inheritance. They get screwed on tax.

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