A Fairer Private Rented Sector
New legislation imminent following release of Government white paper
The government has released the full details of what it calls the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper. This is to form the basis of a Bill of reforms that will be placed into law. The bill outlines a number of radical changes to the rental landscape, including:
- Abolishment of “No Fault Possession” (know as Section 21) evictions
- An extension to the Decent Homes Standard to the sector, where landlords could face unlimited fines and “Ofsted-style inspections” of their rental properties.
- An end to what it calls “arbitrary rent review clauses” giving tenants much stronger powers to challenge poor practice, unjustified rent increases and enable them to be repaid rent for non-decent homes.
- It will be illegal for landlords or agents to have blanket bans on renting to families with children or those in receipt of benefits.
- It will make it easier for tenants to have pets, a right which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.
- All tenants are to be moved onto a single system of periodic tenancies, which in the government’s words mean “they can leave poor quality housing without remaining liable for the rent or move more easily when their circumstances change.”
- A tenancy will only end if a tenant ends or a landlord has a valid reason, defined in law.
- There will be a doubling of notice periods for rent increases and tenants will have stronger powers to challenge them if they are unjustified.
- Tenants will be able to rate their landlord as part of new satisfaction measures.
The government has also announced new plans to crack down on rogue landlords and improve conditions for private renters. Under the new plans, councils will have stronger powers to tackle the worst offenders, backed by enforcement pilots, and increased fines for serious offences.
There will also be a new Private Renters’ Ombudsman to enable disputes between private renters and landlords to be settled quickly, at low cost, and without going to court.
What the government refers to as “responsible landlords” will be able to gain possession of their properties efficiently from anti-social tenants “and can sell their properties when they need to.”
There will also be a new property portal that will “provide a single front door to help landlords to understand, and comply with, their responsibilities as well as giving councils and tenants the information they need to tackle rogue operators.”
If you have any questions about the changes to the private rented sector and how they may affect you, please contact us on 0161 511 5339 or complete our contact form.
