New legislation to outlaw ‘no fault’ evictions

Renters are set to be protected under a new law, the Renters Reform Bill, which will see ‘no fault’ evictions be outlawed.

Landlords have previously been able to give no reason for an eviction and give renters as little as eight weeks’ notice before they must leave their home.  

This practice has put people at risk of homelessness, as statistics revealed 11,380 households were at risk due to the ending of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.

The Decent Homes Standard will also be extended to the private rented sector to ensure tenants have access to quality housing.

It’s believed this measure will slash the £3bn a year in housing benefits that go to landlords renting out non-decent homes which cause people to fall ill.

Landlords will also be granted some protection under the new Bill, as landlords’ grounds for repossession will be strengthened.

This will make it easier to evict tenants avoiding paying rent and acting anti-social.

In response to the Bill, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: ‘The Mayor welcomes the Government’s decision to finally introduce long-promised legislation to ban section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. This commitment is testament to the dogged work of tenants and campaigners who have been waiting three long years for Ministers to honour their previous promises.

‘However, the Government should have used the Queen’s Speech to address the eye-watering costs of renting by giving the Mayor powers to introduce a two year rent freeze in London, as a first step towards delivering rent controls that would make renting more affordable.

‘In the face of a mounting cost of living crisis, giving the Mayor powers to curb spiralling rents would have a big impact and help build a better and fairer London for everyone.’

Social housing has been targeted by the government too, under the Social Housing Regulation Bill announced as part of the Queen’s Speech yesterday.

All providers will be required to meet new regulations, economic regulation of the sector will be strengthened and failing landlords will be subject to fines.

Greater transparency will also be created for tenants in terms of whether their landlord is meeting standards and is compliant with health and safety requirements.

Photo by Yaopey Yong