6:20 AM, 2nd May 2025, About 2 weeks ago 15
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It is being promoted as a way to level the renting playing field and empower tenants, but one housing law expert says the Renters’ Rights Bill‘s real aim is to enrich councils.
And it will leave both landlords and tenants worse off, says Des Taylor of Landlord Licensing & Defence.
The director of casework says the Bill will transform housing enforcement into a harsh, revenue-driven regime.
Mr Taylor says that the landlord sector ‘must wake up’.
Speaking at the HMO Action Group’s Spring Conference in Birmingham, Mr Taylor says the Bill is less about protecting renters and more about bolstering local authority budgets.
He said: “The truth behind the abolition of Section 21 is far more complex and politically motivated than the government would have the public believe.”
Mr Taylor warns that without Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, landlords will be pushed towards the slower, riskier Section 8 process.
This shift, he argues, is designed to ease financial strain on councils by slashing eligibility for homelessness support.
Currently, tenants receiving a Section 21 notice are often advised by councils to stay until bailiffs arrive.
That’s when costly emergency housing obligations are triggered for the council.
However, he says that the Bill changes this and without Section 21, there will be fewer tenants – especially those with rent arrears – will qualify for council help.
That will dramatically reduce council expenditure on temporary accommodation and shorten housing waiting lists.
Landlords, meanwhile, face prolonged delays of up to 16 months to reclaim properties for personal use or sale.
That’s compounded by a 12-month re-letting ban if sales collapse.
Those vacant properties will incur double council tax, further boosting local authority incomes.
Mr Taylor warns that landlords may soon be pressured to lease directly to councils or homeless individuals, ensuring councils benefit yet again.
The Bill also grants councils sweeping powers to impose hefty fines for minor infractions, bypassing court processes.
Fines ranging from £5,000 to £25,000 are already common for paperwork errors, with some advisors advocating for £40,000 penalties as standard.
Mr Taylor says that council enforcement should prioritise safety, not revenue – especially since ‘rogue’ landlords often escape penalties.
Landlord Licensing & Defence, having handled more than 2,000 enforcement cases, confirms this trend is intensifying.
The HMO Action Group, which successfully halted unfair council tax banding for shared homes in December 2023, is now rallying landlords to resist these measures.
Mr Taylor said: “The government only does what benefits itself – and this mis-named Renters’ Rights Bill is Exhibit A.”
Disgrunteld Landlady
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Sign Up12:58 PM, 7th May 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by Jack Craven at 02/05/2025 - 18:59
Surely this must be challengeable legally.. no on can guarantee a sale. If UK did what Hong Kong does then yes this would work - in Hong Kong - you sign a provisional contract to buy, if you pull out you lose the desposit you've had to put down plus you pay 100% more to the Vendor - same for rentals. It was after all under UK administration - why is UK so backwards?
Beaver
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Sign Up15:24 PM, 7th May 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by Jim K at 02/05/2025 - 19:41
I think that if the Renters Rights Bill goes through unamended then for many landlords renting to Serco is going to end up being a better option than finding their own tenants.
The iPaper just published something on the Renters Rights Bill commenting that it is claimed that it will "End rental bidding wars by prohibiting landlords and agents from asking for or accepting offers above the advertised rent when letting out a home."
https://inews.co.uk/news/housing/inside-wrecking-plot-water-down-renters-rights-bill-3678440
Clearly the Renters Rights Bill won't do that. What the Renters Rights Bill will do is encourage landlords to advertise all rental properties at maximum possible rent and push rents in the PRS up even higher.
The Renters Rights Bill is not going to create a "Council Tax Windfall". And any increases in Council Taxes that it might create are going to be more than swallowed up by increased expenditure on housing homeless people as rents continue to escalate as a consequence of government interference.
DPT
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Sign Up11:00 AM, 8th May 2025, About A week ago
If there is a windfall to Councils, then it will almost certainly not cover the cost of the extra duties the Bill imposes on them, so I would anticipate a net loss not a gain for Council coffers.
Beaver
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Sign Up11:09 AM, 8th May 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by DPT at 08/05/2025 - 11:00
That's absolutely right; any anticipated 'windfall' wouldn't cover the cost of their extra duties. But the Renters Rights Bill in its present form will also be inflationary...it will drive up rents. That effect of rents being driven up in the PRS along with the Serco contract (competition from Serco for available housing will increase) will mean that Councils will actually be far worse off.
For many landlords taking a contract with Serco will be far better than finding their own tenants and screening them for eligibility/affordability.
If the government doesn't want to discriminate against the 'home-grown-homeless" then it needs to ensure that Serco offers the same deal to homeless people as it offers to 'asylum seekers'.
And if Serco or any other body corporate that the government wants to be involved is better at housing the 'home-grown-homeless' then it needs to take money off Councils and invest it in those companies instead.
John Frith
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Sign Up21:39 PM, 9th May 2025, About 6 days ago
Here's a thought.
If the council selective licensing scheme is a cash cow, I'm wondering if some enterprising company couldn't step in with a bid to take on the registration, and monitoring of landlords in a particular area? Enforcement would probably have to remain with the council, but any fines would offset the council's costs, perhaps even cover it.
If even one council did this, it might shine a light on how a for-profit lean free enterprise company can outperform the "not-for-profit" public servants. That would be nice.