Renters Rights Bill - Landlord Update
Have you been eagerly awaiting updates on the Renters Reform Bill? The moment has finally arrived!
On Wednesday, we heard the first speech from the King on behalf of our new Labour Government. Among the important topics addressed was the new Renters Rights Bill which will replace the previous Renters Reform Bill. Here are some key points for Landlords from this announcement:
1. Section 21 and 8 Notices
Predictably, Labour has announced they will introduce a ban on no-fault evictions, which is anticipated to be imminent. Despite there being no specific promises to reform the current court system before the Section 21 Notice abolishment, the Housing Minister has noted that courts need to be considerate of landlords and operate much more quickly when there is a good reason for repossession.
In addition to the upcoming abolishment of the Section 21 Notice, we are also expecting a reform of the Section 8 Notice. This reform will look at the process behind a Section 8 Notice and widen the scope of grounds landlords can use to regain possession of their property.
2. Rent Controls
In his speech the King confirmed that the new Government has pledged to give tenants more power and provide them with new means to challenge any unfair hikes in rent. Just a note, this is anticipated to also include new rules for tribunals and cost recovery for tenants.
3. Anti-Discrimination Laws
The introduction of new laws around anti-discrimination has now been confirmed. These new laws mean that the new Bill will be expected to comprise of wording that will prohibit landlords from discriminating against applicants who may have families or that are receiving housing benefits.
4. Awaab’s Law extension
As it stands, Awaab’s law means that social landlords are required to stick to strict time constraints when it comes to managing dangerous hazards including damp and mould in rental properties. Currently private rentals don’t have the same legislation in place, however, it has now been confirmed that Labour plan to extend the law to the private rental sector. This will mean that all landlords, private and social, will need to respond to any reports of dangerous hazards such as damp and mould within the designated time frame.
5. Pets
The conversation around pets in rental properties has been on going for a while, the new Bill will mean that landlords are required to consider any request from a tenant for a pet and the request cannot be refused unless there is a reasonable excuse. To prevent any major problems, Landlords can now request further insurance in order to cover any potential damage from the tenant’s pets.
So now that their plans for the Renters Rights Bill have been announced the big question is, how quickly will these all be implemented?
Well, no time frame was mentioned in the Kings' speech and there are still many details left to be fleshed out. No new Bill can come into place overnight, there are an array of practical constraints to tackle which means this will take time. However, Labour did state in their manifesto that they would be abolishing the Section 21 Notice immediately suggesting it is of high priority for them.
