The government has tabled today tabled amendments to its Renters Reform Bill to make it illegal for “rogue landlords” to impose blanket bans on renting to people on benefits, or who have children.  

It says the move will “crack down on rogue landlords, protect vulnerable residents and improve the decency and safety of homes for millions of tenants”.  

Landlords will still be able to carry out reference checks to make sure a tenancy is affordable and “have the final say on who they let their property to”, says the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.  

If passed, this measure will apply to England and Wales and will be extended to Scotland through a further amendment at the Bill’s report stage.  

The department adds that the Decent Homes Standard will be applied to the private rented sector for the first time. It is already in place for social housing tenants.   

It says: “The new standard will set a clear bar for what tenants should expect from their home ensuring it is safe, warm and decent. It will be set following further consultation and will help to meet the target of reducing non-decency in rented homes by 50% by 2030.”  

Local Authorities will be given new enforcement powers to require landlords to make properties decent, with fines up to £30,000 or a banning order in the worst cases.   

Tenants will also be able to claim up to 24 months of rent back through rent repayment orders up from 12 previously.  

“Councils will also be given stronger powers to investigate landlords who rent substandard homes, providing them with the tools they need to identify and take enforcement action against the criminal minority and help drive them out of the sector,” the department adds.  

Housing secretary Michael Gove says: “Everyone deserves a home that is safe, warm and decent. But far too many live in conditions that fall well below what is acceptable.   

“As part of our long-term plan for housing, we are improving housing standards across the entire private rented sector, while also ending discrimination against vulnerable people and families who are being unfairly denied access to a home.”  

Benham and Reeves director Marc von Grundherr says: “It does seem a tad ironic that the government believes they are waging war on rogue landlords, given they are arguably the cause of the issue to begin with.   

“Having battered buy-to-let profitability in recent years through numerous legislative changes, the government has caused many legitimate landlords to exit the sector.   

“This has inevitably led to a reduction in the level of high-quality rental accommodation available to tenants, leaving the door open for rogue landlords to capitalise on their desperation to find a property.” 

Yesterday, National Residential Landlords Association chief executive Ben Beadle told MPs that the government’s rent reforms will not work unless landlords have access to a faster court system to settle possessions and other disputes.  

“The sector faces its most dramatic legislative upheaval in decades and, as a result, landlords need to have confidence that the Renters Reform Bill’s proposed changes will allow them to continue to deliver high-quality private rented accommodation,” Beadle told the Public Bill Committee.  

He added: “With the market continuing to face widespread instability, the Government simply can’t afford to ignore the need for court reform.”  

The Rental Reform Bill, reintroduced in the King’s Speech last week, is currently at the committee stage in the House of Commons.