The government has confirmed that legislation has been introduced to parliament that will see an end to no fault evictions.
By banning Section 21 evictions, the government is bringing in greater protections for renters around the country, as part of a move that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says will “level the playing field between tenants and landlords.” Alongside this, Awaab’s Law has been extended into the private rented sector, whilst those on benefits or with children can no longer be subject to a blanket ban.
Coming through the Renters’ Rights Bill, tenants will be free to challenge poor landlords without fear of eviction, as landlords will need to provide proof of a valid cause to end the tenancy early. When implemented, this will cover both new and existing tenancies so that all renters are given immediate assurance. This comes as, last year, almost 26,000 households faced homelessness after being subjected to a Section 21 eviction, with this forcing them to turn to their local authority for support.
Commenting on the new bill, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:
“Renters have been let down for too long and too many are stuck in disgraceful conditions, powerless to act because of the threat of a retaliatory eviction hanging over them.
“Most landlords act in a responsible way but a small number of unscrupulous ones are tarnishing the reputation of the whole sector by making the most of the housing crisis and forcing tenants into bidding wars.
“There can be no more dither and delay. We must overhaul renting and rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord. This Bill will do just that and tenants can be reassured this Government will protect them.”
Alongside greater protection for residents, standards across housing are to be driven up, with the Decent Homes Standard applying to the private rented sector for the first time. Driving this is the fact that, currently, 21% of homes in the private rented sector are considered non-decent, with 500,000 containing the most serious of hazards.
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