Tenant activist group calls for a ‘stronger’ Renters’ Rights Bill

Tenant activist group calls for a ‘stronger’ Renters’ Rights Bill

0:06 AM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago 7

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Acorn, the tenant activist organisation, is urging renters to contact their MP calling for a stronger Renters’ Rights Bill.

Its new campaign declares: ‘The Renters’ Rights Bill in its current form is a great start, but if it’s going to deliver the change we really need, it must be made stronger! Email your MP to fight for amendments to the bill!’

In its briefing paper, those interested in the campaign are told: “Acorn members voted on each policy area to produce a list of five key demands we hope can be achieved during the passage of the Bill. We still support wholeheartedly other measures laid out in the document.”

Acorn’s demands for RRB amendments

The details of Acorn’s demands for amendment to the Bill include:

  • End illegal evictions: Make councils prioritise a ‘low prosecution rate’ against landlords who illegally evict their tenants
  • Support landlord licensing schemes: Don’t have councils ‘jump through hoops’ with schemes that help ‘improve conditions for renters’
  • The right to withhold rent for serious disrepair: Not paying rent as a deterrent for landlords not fixing problems that create unsafe conditions
  • Cap rent in advance: Low income tenants struggle when ‘many landlords and agents ask for several months rent in advance’ – and its research found that benefits claimants are three times more likely to pay rent in advance
  • Make renting affordable: A rent cap will prevent landlords from carrying out the ‘economic eviction’ of tenants – with one in four spending more than half of their income on rent.

Acorn wants to make renting impossible

Mick Roberts is the leading landlord in Nottingham for housing benefits tenants, and he says: “Acorn the renter’s union want to make renting impossible.

“They want to bring in legislation and rules that will stop a landlord giving them a house in the first place – why would you want to do that?”

He adds: “Making rent affordable and capping rent? Landlords could invest £150,000 a bank and have zero hassle and not go to prison if a tenant takes the battery out of the smoke alarm.

“Landlords are subject to 170+ rules and we didn’t slave for years at a loss to make it back up 15 years later.”

Policy considerations to the Bill

The document also sees Acorn highlight more policy considerations it wants to the Bill which include:

  • No-fault eviction compensation: Tenants facing no-fault evictions would automatically be exempt from rent payments for the final two months of their tenancy
  • Extended protection period: A two-year period of protection against no-fault evictions would be implemented
  • Discretionary possession grounds: All grounds for eviction would be subject to judicial discretion, allowing courts to consider individual circumstances and potentially avoid or postpone evictions
  • Enhanced enforcement: Local authorities would receive ring-fenced funding to boost enforcement efforts, with allocations based on the number of rental properties in their area
  • Guarantor restrictions: Landlords would be limited in their ability to request guarantors, particularly when they have insurance coverage for non-payment of rent
  • Disability and racial discrimination: Stronger protections would be introduced, including the abolition of the Right to Rent scheme and a legal obligation for landlords to make reasonable adaptations for disabled tenants using the Disabled Facilities Grant.

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Mick Roberts

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10:19 AM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago

They on another planet aren't they.
Cap rent in advance: Low income tenants struggle when ‘many landlords and agents ask for several months rent in advance’ – and its research found that benefits claimants are three times more likely to pay rent in advance

So they want to tell us how much we can charge to Benefit tenants?
Didn't they try this with banning pet deposits and I think we know now that pet owners can't get houses at all now. They could before when given a choice to pay a higher deposit.

Here's my take on it:
So they want to bring legislation and rules in that will stop a landlord giving them a house in the first place-Why would u want to do that?

My tenants 6 year old kids know Selective Licensing has made rent more expensive for their Mum that didn't have a problem with house pre licensing and has now got worse cause Council had the new kitchen money to pay for Licensing.

Making rent affordable and capping rent? Ok Mr Mrs Landlord Landlady we know u can invest your £150,000 in that bank and have zero hassle and not go prison if tenant takes battery out smoke alarm, but we'd like u to buy us a house (u don't know us, we not your mate or family), u going to make less than the bank, u going to be subject to 170+ rules and you NEVER having your money back.
Aah right Acorn that should work shun't it-Sign me up now. Eh and I've bought over my 27 years of being Nottingham's biggest private provider to Benefit tenants, about 30 to 40 houses JUST FOR TENANTS WHERE THEY HAVE FOUND THE HOUSE, where they'd like to live. Why did I do that? Cause the numbers added up.
Would I do it in 2024? Yes course I would just for u, we've all won the Euro Millions u know and can afford to give it away. We didn't slave for years at a loss to make it back up 15 years later. Let's all sign up to Acorn and get some subsidised housing off Mrs Marples.

Cider Drinker

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10:49 AM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago

Tenant activist groups call for higher rents and fewer rental properties.

There, I’ve fixed the headline.

Mick Roberts

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11:14 AM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 05/11/2024 - 10:49
Ha ha brilliant

northern landlord

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15:46 PM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago

Acorn are turkeys voting for Christmas. If the Government ever caved into their demands, the number of properties to rent would very rapidly decline. Interest rates are currently good and rates are most likely going to rise. Being older we have sold two lower rent, mortgage free PRS properties as they became vacant and are getting about 70% of the gross rental as interest with no hassle and having to comply with 170 plus existing and potentially new regulations with costs and fines attached.
As they were older properties, if you factor in insurance, gas checks, and repairs and maintenance and refurbishment costs we are getting nearer to 85% of our net income and no hassle.
I dream that the rest of our tenants would hand their notice in tomorrow , so we I can get out the easy way,

Mick Roberts

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16:36 PM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by northern landlord at 05/11/2024 - 15:46
Ha ha yes great way of putting it
Dream they would have their notice in tomorrow.
Some are just never going to able to go the more Acorn shout for these things. It's like they shouting to keep a few tenants in their homes forever forgetting there's is millions that will want to move over the next 20 years and they putting a stop to that.
One of me tenants did a video on that here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/g2PWMAVGj3FZXRqn9

Cider Drinker

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17:33 PM, 5th November 2024, About a month ago

I have tenants stuck in a 4-bed house because they can’t downsize due to lack of available homes. Ten years ago, I’d have bought another one to help them.

I’ve kept the rent at a 3 bed rate but I’m increasing all rents next year to encourage someone to leave.

Mick Roberts

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8:49 AM, 6th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 05/11/2024 - 17:33Yes same here. I too have bought many houses for many tenants over the years. Govt has no idea this happens unless they come talk to us.
I also have 4 flats, I used to be able to move them into when their kids left home and they couldn't afford the bigger house they were in. Nowadays those people in the flats don't move on cause they can't get anywhere.
Yes again only way some of us will ever be able to retire is trying to charge near a normal rent, if only to pay for the Letting Agent fee so we can leave the tenants with Letting Agent, so we may be able to do a bit less.
Or end up going court for arrears which I'm hearing many horror stories of 18 months to get someone out and costs of £18,000.

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