It’s been a long wait, but refreshed legislation to put an end to no-fault evictions in rental homes moved a step closer to becoming law last night.
The new Renters’ Rights Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening by a margin of 329.
Labour’s proposals keep many of the ideas included in the original Renters (Reform) Bill introduced by the Tories before the General Election – including the scrapping of Section 21 notices – while adding a few new ones.
Tenants will be given the right to request a pet, and will also be empowered to challenge landlords who hike up their rent by an unreasonable amount.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: ‘There can be no more dither and delay.
‘We must overhaul renting and rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord.’
The new legislation would bring England closer into line with Scotland, where no-fault evictions have been banned for more than five years.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said it would ‘level decisively the playing field between landlord and tenants’.
It has been welcomed by campaign groups including the Renters Reform Coalition, which brings together 20 organisations supporting private renters.
Director Tom Darling said: ‘We renter groups have been consistent in calling for these, and though there are still areas for improvement, the fact that this government has listened means that a lot of renters will benefit from increased security of tenure.
However, he added: ‘We know from Scotland, where similar reforms are in place, that landlord abuse of eviction powers under the new system could be rife.
‘It is essential the bill contains thorough safeguards to prevent unfair or fraudulent evictions from taking place.’
What is a Section 21 notice?
A Section 21 notice, also known as a no-fault eviction, allows a landlord to ask their tenant to leave their property without having to specify a reason.
Renters are given at least two months to find alternative plans for accommodation before they must move out or face legal action.
There are concerns that the situation gives landlords the opportunity to kick out tenants who complain about their living standards – a practice called retaliatory evictions.
According to housing charity Shelter, around 500 private renters are served a Section 21 notice every day, and more than 26,000 households faced homelessness in the past five years due to no-fault evictions.
What is Labour proposing?
BBC News reported that the government plans to immediately ban Section 21 evictions once the bill becomes law.
That’s in contrast to the Conservative approach, which would have paused to check if courts were prepared to deal with the expected influx of cases as landlords are forced to lean on the justice system to secure evictions.
Other proposals in the Renters Rights Bill include:
- The right to request a pet, which landlords cannot ‘unreasonably refuse’
- Laws to end rental bidding wars by landlords and letting agencies
- More rights to challenge unfair rent increases
- Making it illegal to discriminate against those on benefits or who have children when choosing a tenant
- The expansion of Awaab’s Law, cracking down on landlords who do not fix mouldy homes, to cover the private sector
Shortly before the bill’s third reading, the government also added an amendment blocking landlords from asking for more than one month’s rent in advance from prospective tenants.
How soon will Section 21 evictions be abolished?
While the Renters’ Rights Bill is one of the first to be introduced this parliament, it may take some time to pass into law.
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As with all pieces of legislation introduced at Westminster, there’s no way to predict how long it will take to get through its various stages.
Although just the House of Lords stands between the bill and its royal assent, the peers may take their time scrutinising its measures and their potential impact.
The Renters Reform Coalition believes royal assent is likely to come in the spring, with the abolition of Section 21 coming into effect this summer.
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