Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, yesterday confirmed that the the Renters (Reform) Bill will be debated by MPs on Monday 23rd October.
The Bill, which includes the scrapping of Section 21 evictions, was first proposed more than four years ago by Theresa May’s government (April 2019), which at the time was described as a “step change” in protections for renters, ending Section 21 evictions and giving landlords and tenants more rights, the industry is still waiting for the legislation to be implemented.
Progress of the Renters Reform Bill through the House of Commons has been unexpectedly slow. It is considered unusual for a Bill to take this long to move from a first to second reading, with the committee stage, third reading, and finally Royal Assent still needed.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns, commented: “Now that the green light has finally been given for the Second Reading of the Renters Reform Bill, MPs and Peers must ensure the vital role of property agents is reflected fairly in the Bill.
“Without enhancing the role of letting agents through regulation, it is unlikely that tenants will see improved standards and many landlords will be left to navigate the more complex legal environment they will be operating in.
“We remain concerned about the removal of fixed-term tenancies and agents and landlords need confidence in the capacity of the court system to deal with the changes and ensure that the revised system of grounds is robust enough to ensure landlords can get their property back when things go wrong. It is imperative the Bill is evidence-based and works for tenants, letting agents, and landlords. and we stand ready to support the UK government to ensure the Bill is workable.”
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) believes it could take over a year for many elements of the Renters Reform Bill to become law. That would take the timescale roughly up to the time of the next general election, which is widely expected to be late 2024.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “The uncertainty over whether the Bill will proceed or not has made it difficult for landlords and renters to plan for the future.
“As they consider the Bill, MPs and Peers will need to make sure it secures the confidence of responsible landlords every bit as much as tenants. Should the Bill fail to secure the confidence of landlords the shortage of homes will only worsen, ultimately hurting renters.
“It is crucial that problems with the Courts are addressed alongside the Bill progressing through Parliament. As the cross-party Housing Select Committee has warned, an unreformed court system risks undermining the Government’s planned changes to the sector.
“Ministers have pledged to guarantee improvements to the court system, and we will continue to work with them to ensure this happens.”
GOOD NEWS ALERT: After thousands of you demanded the return of the #RentersReformBill, the government has confirmed it will have its second reading on Monday!
It’s down to campaigners like you that this bill has finally got this crucial next step. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/ogTnL5egHa
— Shelter (@Shelter) October 19, 2023
“Ministers have pledged to guarantee improvements to the court system, and we will continue to work with them to ensure this happens”
Strange on the 2nd of October 2023: Housing minister Rachel Maclean has confirmed that a proposed housing court for landlords to help speed-up the evictions process is ‘definitely off the table’.
The bottom line, Councils have no where to house people and if they do the cost is prohibitive and bankrupting them, many Councils blowing a quarter of their budget on short term accommodation.
Need more housing but that’s off the table for years as no one invests during a Labour government. 500,000 net migration doesn’t help.
This is going to get ugly, insist on home owning joint and several guarantors. (2)
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