Renters Reform White Paper – Full details published

Renters Reform White Paper – Full details published

11:37 AM, 16th June 2022, About 2 years ago 83

Text Size

The fairer private rented sector white paper has been published today (16 June 2022). Click Here

Section 21 evictions will be outlawed. The Government’s claim is that more than a fifth of private renters who moved in 2019 and 2020 did not end their tenancy by choice, including 8% who were asked to leave by their landlord.

Measures published today also include:

  • Outlawing blanket bans on renting to families with children or those in receipt of benefits
  • Ending the use of arbitrary rent review clauses, restricting tribunals from hiking up rent and enabling tenants to be repaid rent for non-decent homes. This will make sure tenants can take their landlord to court to seek repayment of rent if their homes are of an unacceptable standard
  • Making it easier for tenants to have much-loved pets in their homes by giving all tenants the right to request a pet in their house, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse
  • All tenants to be moved onto a single system of periodic tenancies, meaning they can leave poor quality housing without remaining liable for the rent or move more easily when their circumstances change. A tenancy will only end if a tenant ends or a landlord has a valid reason, defined in law
  • Doubling notice periods for rent increases and giving tenants stronger powers to challenge them if they are unjustified
  • Giving councils stronger powers to tackle the worst offenders, backed by enforcement pilots, and increasing fines for serious offences

In addition, private landlords will have greater clarity and support through the following measures:

  • A new Private Renters’ Ombudsman will be created to enable disputes between private renters and landlords to be settled quickly, at low cost, and without going to court
  • Ensuring responsible landlords can gain possession of their properties efficiently from anti-social tenants and can sell their properties when they need to
  • Introducing a new property portal that will provide a single front door to help landlords to understand, and comply with, their responsibilities as well as giving councils and tenants the information they need to tackle rogue operators

Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove said: “For too long many private renters have been at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords who fail to repair homes and let families live in damp, unsafe and cold properties, with the threat of unfair ‘no fault’ evictions orders hanging over them.

“Our New Deal for renters will help to end this injustice by improving the rights and conditions for millions of renters as we level up across the country and deliver on the people’s priorities.”

Alongside the white paper the following documents will be published:

  • Response to 2019 consultation on abolishing section 21
  • Response to 2018 call for evidence on the case for a housing court
  • Response to 2019 call for evidence on tenancy deposit reform

Share This Article


Comments

Darren Peters

16:36 PM, 5th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Or maybe they pay for their kitchen and furniture package with a long term loan over 10 years. If credit can put people in nice cars they can't really afford it can do the same for kitchens.

As for the entitlement culture, I don't know the answer. Perhaps self reliance is dormant just below the surface, perhaps it's deeply ingrained and needs a starvation level of desperation to reignite and perhaps it's just not there because we've evolved backwards - disgenics I think it' called. Either way, if it became the only choice then we would find out.

How did it work under regulated rent; where was the line between landlord and tenant's responsibilities?

Denise G

22:06 PM, 5th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Isn't most accomodation in Europe state owned rather than being a range of properties owned by private landlords? Or are they just like here?

Simon Slade

3:06 AM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Denise G at 05/07/2022 - 22:06
Here in Germany where I live now it’s a mixture of private landlords and large companies. The insurance and pension companies also hold large portfolios. The main difference is that they are primarily flats

northern landlord

18:18 PM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

We seem to have gone off on a bit of a tangent here. Getting back to the white paper, I have concerns over P33 of the White Paper that deals with two new grounds for Section 8 eviction once Section 21 goes. The first is a new mandatory ground for persistent arrears. Hard to get your head around this one, have a read of it. It seems if you can prove the persistent arrears then the tenant cannot settle arrears before court and avoid eviction although they can still do this in the normal case of two months arrears. Would this mean for example that if a tenant is 6 months in arrears at the time of notice the mandatory ground will apply? Would it also mean that if a landlord can prove the past arrears the eviction would be granted even if the tenant were up to date on rent at the time of notice? None of it is clear.
There also another new ground related to when a landlord wants to sell up. Unlike the persistent arrears ground, the word “mandatory” is not mentioned. This must make it “discretionary”. So presumably a landlord could be challenged by a tenant in court if they want to sell up. Could the situation arise where you would actually be prevented by a judge from selling your own property or be compelled to compensate the tenant for making them homeless? Maybe the £1700 compensation (or maybe more depending on circumstances) proposed by Generation rent will come in. Who knows?

Whiteskifreak Surrey

21:16 PM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by northern landlord at 06/07/2022 - 18:18
"So presumably a landlord could be challenged by a tenant in court if they want to sell up. Could the situation arise where you would actually be prevented by a judge from selling your own property or be compelled to compensate the tenant for making them homeless? "
What you are saying really makes me shiver. Really - are we living in communism? What have we become as a country if the private property rights are going to be jeopardised by the government regulations? That I have to pay to get my own asset back? I can be challenged in a court over my own property? Are we back to Stalinist years in Central i Eastern Europe?
I cannot believe it comes to that. I would understand that if I am selling I might have to give a longer notice - say 4 months, that is perfectly OK. But paying to get my own house back is just beyond me.
More and more I have a feeling that we voted Cons and got a left-wing, socialist, crazy government.

Whiteskifreak Surrey

21:17 PM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by northern landlord at 06/07/2022 - 18:18
"So presumably a landlord could be challenged by a tenant in court if they want to sell up. Could the situation arise where you would actually be prevented by a judge from selling your own property or be compelled to compensate the tenant for making them homeless? "
What you are saying really makes me shiver. Really - are we living in communism? What have we become as a country if the private property rights are going to be jeopardised by the government regulations? That I have to pay to get my own asset back? I can be challenged in a court over my own property? Are we back to Stalinist years in Central i Eastern Europe?
I cannot believe it comes to that. I would understand that if I am selling I might have to give a longer notice - say 4 months, that is perfectly OK. But paying to get my own house back is just beyond me.
More and more I have a feeling that we voted Cons and got a left-wing, socialist, crazy government.

Whiteskifreak Surrey

21:31 PM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

The (still) PM just sacked Michael Gove as a Leveling up secretary. (6 July 21.30 hrs.)

budd

21:41 PM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Whiteskifreak Surrey at 06/07/2022 - 21:31
Great news

Whiteskifreak Surrey

23:09 PM, 6th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by at 06/07/2022 - 21:41
I certainly hope so!

Ian Narbeth

10:21 AM, 7th July 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Whiteskifreak Surrey at 06/07/2022 - 21:17
"So presumably a landlord could be challenged by a tenant in court if they want to sell up. Could the situation arise where you would actually be prevented by a judge from selling your own property or be compelled to compensate the tenant for making them homeless? "

I don't like the proposed changes any more than you do but if a landlord says he wants to sell it is not unreasonable to get him to demonstrate that he does, e.g. by showing that the property is being marketed by an agent and that viewings are being conducted. Otherwise (would you believe it?), some landlords might lie about their intentions.

As for paying a tenant to compensate for making them homeless, if reasonable compensation for non-fault eviction was the price for keeping s21, I could live with that. I suspect many landlords could too. Unfortunately, that has not been widely canvassed as an idea.

The reason s21 became so prevalent (and in some cases misused) was that the lengthy delays in getting to court and the uncertainty of result led landlords to choose it as the safer option. There was also the annoyance that persistent late payers would pay just enough at the last minute to avoid eviction.

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Tax Planning Book Now