Renters Rights Bill set for second reading Mortgage Finance Gazette

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The Renters’ Rights Bill will get a second reading in parliament today, which comes a month after the wide-ranging legislation was first introduced and within the first 100 days of the new Labour government.

Its measures include banning Section 21 no-fault evictions, limiting rent increases to once a year and applying the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time.

The Labour Party election manifesto in the summer pledged to end no-fault evictions “immediately” if it formed a government.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner says: “I am determined to get this Bill in to law as soon as possible.

“The thousands of children and families living in unsafe housing or under the cruel threat of a Section 21 eviction notice have been waiting far too long already.”

The previous Conservative administration had steered a similar Renter’s Reform Bill through the House of Commons, but was opposed by backbench Tory MPs who were concerned about the ability of landlords to remove anti-social renters and tenants in debt from their properties through the courts.

That Bill ran out of time when the last parliament was dissolved at the end of May.

Rayner will give a speech in the House of Commons today and is expected to highlight these key parts of the Bill:

  • Tenants will be in a stronger position to challenge unreasonable rent increases supported by a Tribunal and landlords will only be allowed to raise the rent once a year and only to the market rate
  • Renters will get a quicker resolution over disputes, cutting down on the need to go through the courts through a new Ombudsman service
  • Local councils will be given stronger powers to crack down on unscrupulous landlords, with fines lifted to £40,000 for the worst offenders
  • A new database for landlords to share important information on their property standards
  • Tenants will be able to request to have a pet and landlords will not be able to unreasonably refuse

However, Propertymark believes “there are areas of this Bill that can be improved”.

The estate agency body argues that fixed-term tenancies should not be abolished because they “allow for the security of tenure for the tenant and a guarantee of rent payments for the landlord”.

More widely, the association says that since 2015 landlords have not been able to offset the costs of their mortgages against their tax bill.

It says this should be reversed “so that more landlords can be encouraged to invest in the private rental sector, thereby guaranteeing a sufficient level of supply, and bringing down rents in the long-term”.

Propertymark chief executive Nathan Emerson adds: “Legislation must be balanced when it comes to protecting the rights of both tenants and landlords, something Propertymark has long argued for.

“However, there must be a workable system implemented that delivers fairness for everyone.

“Tenants should be confident they have a stable and secure home, and landlords must be able to gain possession of their properties from disruptive tenants via adequate means.

“Propertymark will continue to make its argument to government as they attempt to legislate their Renters’ Rights Bill.”