HOUSING
The Renters’ Reform Bill is imminent. Here are five things to expect from it
The long-awaited Renters’ Reform Bill is finally set to be introduced to Parliament, according to housing secretary Michael Gove.
The landmark bill promises to improve renters’ rights in England. It was first announced in June last year but since then there has been no sign of the bill making its way through Parliament despite rents hitting record highs as the cost-of-living crisis bites.
Gove told Sky News the bill would be published last week, promising the legislation would “change the way in which the relationship between landlords and tenants works.” At the time of publication there were whispers from Politico’s Playbook that it would be delayed for “a week or two” due to “procedural delays”.
While we wait to see the full detail of the bill, here are five things to expect from it.
1 GOODBYE TO NO-FAULT EVICTIONS
No-fault evictions, also known as Section 21 evictions, allow landlords to evict a tenant without giving a reason and are considered to be a leading driver of homelessness. The legislation will ban them, though it remains to be seen which grounds for possession will replace them. The trade-off for tenants is that there will be steeper penalties for antisocial behaviour, which will be specifically banned in tenancy agreements with renters given two weeks’ notice to leave if a possession ground is granted.
2 GIVING TENANTS MORE POWER TO TACKLE RENT INCREASES
Over half of homes visited by statisticians from the Office for National Statistics in February had seen a rent increase in the last year. The bill will let tenants challenge “excessive” rent increases through a first-tier tribunal.
3 IMPROVE STANDARDS OF RENTAL HOMES
A recent
