Renters Reform Bill ‘will make some evictions easier for landlords’

The Renters Reform Bill is designed to drive up standards in the private and socially rented sector, but it will also make evictions easier for landlords in certain circumstances.

Natalie Tatton, Solicitor in our dispute team provides an update.

The Bill is designed to help the 4.4 million households privately renting across England by extending the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time.

It’s hoped these reforms will ensure all renters have access to secure, quality homes, levelling up opportunities for the 21% of private renters who currently live in homes of an unacceptable standard.

New measures will also protect tenants by scrapping so-called ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions that allow rogue landlords to terminate tenancies without giving any reason. It’s estimated that 22% of those who moved in the past year did not end their tenancy by choice.

However, the Bill will also strengthen landlords’ grounds for repossession making it easier for them to evict tenants who are wilfully not paying rent, or who are repeatedly engaging in anti-social behaviour, bringing down neighbourhoods.

Tenants in social housing will also benefit from major reforms. The Social Housing Regulation Bill will make all registered social housing providers subject to a tough new regulatory regime, with failing social landlords facing unlimited fines if they fail to meet the standards expected of them.

Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove said: “The New Deal for renters will help to end injustice, improving conditions and rights for millions of renters.”

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. The ombudsman will cover all private landlords letting properties and make sure that when residents make a complaint, landlords take action to put things right.

The Bill will also introduce a new property portal to help landlords understand their obligations, give tenants performance information to hold their landlord to account, and help councils crack down on poor practice.

The government will shortly publish a White Paper setting out more detail on its proposals and will continue to work with the sector to develop the Renters Reform Bill.

We shall keep clients informed of any further developments.

For more information about this article or any aspect of residential landlord and tenant please contact Natalie on 01228 516666 or click here to send her an email.