Yahoo Finance Property: No-fault evictions to be banned in 'once-in-a-generation' renting shake-up
Landlords are set to be banned from evicting tenants from rented property without justification as part of a long-promised overhaul of the private rental sector in England..
The Renters' (Reform) Bill will allow tenants to challenge landlords without losing their home, ban no-fault evictions and give tenants the legal right to request a pet, which the landlord will not be able to "unreasonably" reject.
The law would also make it illegal for a landlord to refuse tenancies to families with children, or those in receipt of benefits.
The bill, to be introduced to Parliament today, is also set to require privately rented homes to meet the decent homes standard, as homes in the social housing sector do.
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Notice periods will be reduced where renters have been “irresponsible” – for example, by breaching their tenancy agreement or causing damage to the property, according to the government.
No-fault – or Section 21 – evictions allow landlords to take back possession from tenants without giving a reason.
After receiving a Section 21 notice, tenants have just two months before their landlord can apply for a court order to evict them.
Some believe that landlords have abused the Section 21 in the past, kicking out long-term tenants only to re-rent again to new people at an inflated cost.
This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek it's important to reflect on the strain on renters mental health that the current renting crisis has caused. We hope that the forthcoming Renters' Reform Bill will go some way to alleviating that strain. pic.twitter.com/Q8hFfFTgQ5
— Generation Rent (@genrentuk) May 16, 2023
The bill is also set to introduce a new digital property portal to enable landlords to understand their obligations and help tenants make better decisions when signing a new tenancy agreement.
The aim of the portal is to give “confidence to good landlords, while driving the criminal minority out of business”.
Landlords will be able to require pet insurance to cover any damage to their property.
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Housing secretary Michael Gove said a new ombudsman will be set up to oversee dispute resolutions.
Gove said: "Too many renters are living in damp, unsafe, cold homes, powerless to put things right, and with the threat of sudden eviction hanging over them.
"This government is determined to tackle these injustices by offering a new deal to those living in the private rented sector; one with quality, affordability and fairness at its heart."
Described by government as a “once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing laws”, the plans will impact 11 million tenants and two million landlords in England, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Watch: Government unveils 'once-in-a-generation' renting shake-up - including ban on 'no-fault' evictions
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