Rental reform will be introduced this Parliament, says Housing Secretary
In this article I’ll discusses how Rental reform is set to be introduced this Parliament
Despite the U-turns and the chaos, the sniping and the gossip, new Housing Secretary Simon Clarke stood up in the Commons and confidently announced that the Government’s controversial Renters’ Reform Bill would be introduced during this Parliament.
People may be forgiven for questioning the veracity of this claim as so many Government policies have had to be reversed, re-written or reviewed following the fall-out from the previous Chancellor’s mini budget and the subsequent appointment of Jeremy Hunt to take the reins at the Treasury.
A chill wind is now blowing through Whitehall and the first flush of excitement adorning the cheeks of the new regime has grown somewhat paler as the harsh economic realities have begun to hit home.
There’s a cold moon rising along with inflation and interest rates. There are longer queues at the food banks and the threat of widespread industrial action hovers over the country like a menacing shadow.
But nevertheless, the confident Mr Clarke is standing by his predecessor’s pledge to reform the Private Rental Sector before December 2024 – the last possible date before the next General Election.
Maybe he knows something that the rest of us don’t.
The government’s proposals included:
- A ban on Section 21 so-called ‘no fault’ evictions and an extension of the Decent Homes Standard.
- An end to arbitrary rent review clauses, giving tenants stronger powers to challenge poor practice and unjustifiable rent increases and enabling them to be repaid rent for non-decent homes.
- Making it illegal for agents or landlords to have blanket bans on renting to families with children or those in receipt of benefits.
- Making it easier for tenants to share their homes with much-loved pets.
This was seen as great news for renters, a balancing of the scales which, it was claimed, had been weighted in favour of landlords for too long.
But then it all went quiet. Nothing happened. Nothing, that is apart from the dismissal of Michael Gove, the former Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – the mastermind behind the White Paper.
Shortly afterwards, the Prime Minister was toppled, everyone went off on their holidays and a new government marched bravely forward to begin a new era.
Would the Renters’ Reform Bill be a priority in the brave new world?
Simon Clarke has now answered that question – the legislation will be introduced during this Parliament. However he resisted the opportunity to give us a specific date.
At the moment it looks like the Bill hasn’t quite been kicked into the long grass, but to continue the sporting analogy, it has been placed firmly in the political corridor of uncertainty.
But is the delay necessarily a bad thing?
Not according to industry commentator and managing director of Payprop, Neil Cobbold.
He believes it offers the Government an opportunity to ‘re-evaluate its proposals and ‘get them right.’
He said :”The importance of the housing sector to the economy and to people’s lives mean that it should remain a priority. We ask the government to take into account views from across the industry to ensure we have an efficient and accessible PRS that delivers high-quality housing for all.”
And so say all of us.
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