Landlords and senior Tory MPs look set to join forces in a bid to thwart the Renters’ Rights Bill, reports suggest.
The Guardian reports that landlords have gained senior Tory support as they consider launching a legal challenge against the government’s planned changes to the private rented sector.
Baroness Jane Scott, the shadow housing minister, has reportedly held a private meeting with some of the country’s most prominent landlords and estate agents to discuss possible ways in which they might delay or prevent the bill’s passing.
Among the proposals was a challenge in the courts under human rights law. A similar case mounted by Scottish landlords last year unsuccessfully argued rent caps breached landlords’ right to property.
Three people present at the meeting told The Guardian they had also discussed delaying the bill with repeated rounds of amendments in the House of Lords.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, introduced to Parliament last September, is expected to become law later this year.
Former housing minister Michael Gove attempted to pass similar legislation last year, but new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has shifted her party’s stance away from backing the government’s plans to introduce more stringent rules for landlords.
The shadow housing minister’s roundtable reportedly included representatives from Get Living, Dexters and the National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA), among others, The Guardian reported. The latter group has denied involvement in any discussions regarding legal challenges to the bill.
In 2023, the Scottish Association of Landlords mounted a failed legal challenge against the Scottish government’s attempts to bring in a temporary rent cap, citing the right to property as enshrined in the European convention on human rights.
A Conservative party spokesman told the press: “The Conservatives have been warning that this bill is deeply flawed, as it will lead to a reduced supply of rental homes. This will increase the cost of renting, affecting people across the country and in particular young people who are more likely to be living in the private rented sector.
“As is standard practice with all legislation, the official opposition engages privately with a range of stakeholders to hear their views.”
Not all of the groups in attendance were comfortable with the ideas discussed, The Guardian said, with some industry figures having accepted that the bill will become law.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, told the press: “The NRLA has long accepted that Section 21 is going and is not campaigning to retain it. Our focus remains solely on ensuring the Renters’ Rights Bill is workable in practice without undermining its core objectives.”
I really hope this isn’t an April Fools…
I admit to being one of the ones that has accepted S21 is going; my concern is that they haven’t updated the Court system enough for these possession to be granted in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost.
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Well if ever there was a time to bail from being a letting agent or landlord this is it. Abolishing Sec 21 is the stupidest thing anyone could have inflicted upon them.
Landlords will leave in droves. We all know why Sec21 is good for both landlord and tenant, but has been flipped by pressure groups who’s sole purpose is to benefit consumer rights and doing it creates a minefield of trouble with problem tenants. No landlord gets rid of a good tenant.
Warning #1. Once a tenant realises they can get the rent back from complaining and rigging a property!
Warning #2. Be very, very careful who you use to do your referencing. One major player for 12 months no longer does previous agent/landlords checks. Their automated system of referencing does not warn you or even ask the tenants to complete this information. Unwittingly accepting the tenant from hell, who is professional as causing you problems and trying to get them out ….. going to cost you a lot of money and stress.
Warning #3. Troublesome tenants are getting wise to SAR’s and using that information at anytime during the tenancy to their advantage. If you don’t know your GDPR, you need to take the day off and read it with a fine toothcomb. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Everything is hunky dory until you get that one tenants and that’s all it takes to give you a nervous breakdown and lose £k’s. Oh there’s a TV programme made all about that!!!!!!
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I see nothing in the RRB to help landlords but that was the whole point of the new bill. Not to help tenants but to force landlords to sell up. When will Governments admit that, in fact, we do not have a shortage of homes to buy we have a massive shortage of homes to rent. Four months of no rent before even being able to start evictions and another possible 9 months for court is just too long. Landlords being refused access to a property they own even for gas or electric certification. With the end of s21 more tenants will now find themselves with a CCJ and little hope of ever finding another tenancy. This bill is not good for tenants and is certainly the death knoll for many landlords.
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