2019 seems as very long time ago. That was when I last graced these pages, calling for our party to do more for renters, and specifically to push the then government to scrap Section 21 of the Housing Act, which enables tenants to be evicted without any reason.
Since then a lot of things have happened, globally, nationally, and in the party. Globally we have had Covid, an economic shock and a war in Europe. In the UK, as well as managing those, we had more changes of Tory leadership and front benchers than most homeowner’s house moves. In the Lib Dems, well the one thing that sticks out for me is that at the Autumn 2019 conference we passed a motion putting the removal of S21 into party policy.
And there it sat, slightly overlooked in our last general election manifesto, but a policy commitment nonetheless, waiting for its moment to be called to action. And last Thursday, at twelve noon, that time came.
Michael Gove’s Bill (Renters (Reform) Bill) is the delivery of a promise made by Theresa May way back in 2018. And it does look good, containing not just an end to no fault evictions and beefing up landlords’ rights to repossession for specific reason, things that our motion called for in 2019, but also additional rights such as being able to appeal unfair rent increases and to not be automatically rejected for a tenancy if you have a pet or children, all backed up by the creation of a new Private Rented Ombudsman.
As set out in the explanatory note, it is a good start on providing better rights for those of us left to fend in the private rental sector. It won’t resolve every ill, but it will certainly help improve the lot for many renters.
Unfortunately, the Government’s benches are packed with MPs who are also landlords , and many of whom have already indicated a willingness to prevent the legislation ever reaching the statute books. Labour also has its share of landlord MPs, although thus far, they have been less willing to state a position.
Organisations representing landlords have already started pushing lines to derail or destroy the Bill, the one gaining the most traction being that tighter rules on landlords will cause many to simply pack up and stop renting their properties. In some ways this may be true, but more because government policy has gradually removed the tax benefits enjoyed by many buy to let landlords, and a series of safety and environmental regulations have forced many to undertake work to bring their properties up to decent ‘habitable’ standards. And more is to come as we try to ensure the UK’s housing stock is fit for purpose for the challenges ahead as the climate changes and more energy efficient future is sought. But the heart of this argument is ethically bankrupt, and to get to the heart of the difference between some landlords and most tenants; for the former it is an investment, for the latter, a home.
Of course, as a party we must see supporting, and where possible, improving this legislation as part of our larger plans for increasing homes building across the UK, and of increasing the availability of what’s now called social housing, but many of us remember as good old fashioned ‘council housing’, in the pre-Thatcher times.
This Bill won’t bring down rents, it won’t increase the number of rental properties, and it won’t by itself solve our country’s housing crisis. But it will give some of our poorest and least cared for citizens a little bit more certainty and a few more rights. We need to support it, and ensure, as we head for a knife edge general election, that renters across the country know that we have their back. That might just be the thing that gets us their vote!
A few of the party members who supported the original conference motion campaign in 2019 are now working to ensure the Bill delivers on its promise, including activities at conference. If you want to get involved, email me at: [email protected].
* Mark Platt is a Lib Dem of twenty years plus and has served the party at local, regional and national level, most recently as a member of FPC. He is also a private renter in London, the epicentre of the private rental housing crisis.
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Jason Connor
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6 Comments
Great to see that much needed reform to private renting rules in England is likely to occur. I think lessons could be learned from Scotland where the rights of those renting are considerable stronger than south of the border.
“But it will give some of our poorest and least cared for citizens a little bit more certainty and a few more rights.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Many landlords are now selling up, and even if new ones come in landlord churn pushes up rents and that clearly hurts those on low incomes. Worse still is that with the loss of S21 and the enormous imbalance between supply and demand, landlords can, and will be much choosier on who they rent to.
Things are going to get much, much worse because of this bill.
Pointless having strong tenant protection if there are no properties to rent.
A far better approach is to encourage investment in more rental properties and let competition push up standards, drive out bad Landlords and control price (rent).
S21 was mainly used for anti social behaviour and rent arrears as it avoided long delays with courts.
This will increase S8 use and the courts wont be equipped to cope. If anybody believes that anti social behaviour will be dealt with they are living in the land of the fairies.
I am a landlord in Covid the tenant kept the U credit housing benefit as I could not evict . He also smashed the house up burning floorboards and doors constant fires in the garden , loud music etc. This went on for a period of six months the Police were useless wouldnt get involved due to contract between landlord and tenant. Any excuse not to act , tenants next door he was damaging and posting glass via the letterbox.
I was an emergency case still took 2months via courts. Twice he cut all the electrics which i had to replace , the boiler was smashed to bits pipework and kitchen ripped out. The cost to me 40,000.
Tenant walked away scott free. How is this justice.
Smashed up rented property is more common than government think.
Open ended tenancies so a landlord pays 1000 plus for inventory , refs etc and tenant leaves after 2months only for the landlord to pay out again.
This bill has taken no interest in being fair to the landlords side and all parties are so deparate for the renters vote they will pass anything.
I can only concur with the above. Hurt Landlords and , well you know direction they say ‘ it ‘ flows – the poorest tenants will bear the brunt. Landlords already have enormous choice with around 50 + applicants for every available rental property.
It will be those with the most impeccable financial record, AND Guarantors, that will get the tenancy.
The pain this will cause to Landlords customers has not been appreciated.
Thanks for the support Mel, I definitely think there’s learning to be had from how things are working in Scotland, not least in the operation of the dispute resolution system.
John/Barry/Possession Friend – I don’t disagree with your take on how this can only be one part of the equation. We need to see an increase in the number of homes being built, and not just for sale or so-called ‘market rent’, but also for what’s now called ‘social rent’ but used to be simply Council Housing. It’s interesting to see that one of the major corporate landlords, Grainger’s, has welcomed the Bill, saying that many of the proposals align with their business model.
On the current situation, while looking for properties on the online platforms seems daunting, the number of new properties coming on to the market does indicate both churn and also a large number of landlords still willing to continue renting, albeit mainly to tenants with above UK average incomes.
Ruth – I’m sorry to hear about your experience, and I agree that such behaviour needs to be firmly dealt with, but that’s exactly what the bill proposes, by speeding up anti-social behaviour as a means for eviction by the courts.
As I said in the article, it’s not a perfect piece of legislation yet, which is why it’s important that our party and our Parliamentarians get involved in shaping it to be the legislation that we all need. And of course, continue to press government and developers to build more homes… where they’re needed and at prices that ordinary people can afford!