The Renters Reform Bill is supposedly on the ‘brink of collapse’, according to the Sun and the Telegraph.
The bill introduced to Parliament by Michael Gove in May 2023 was set to reform the social and private rent sector and improve housing quality. However, after months of amendments and a rebelling of MPs it seems it is no closer to passing.
The Sun quoted an unnamed Whitehall source: “The Renters Reform Bill looks like it may now collapse and the Tories risk breaking their manifesto commitment to end no-fault evictions.”
The Housing Secretary vowed last month to pass the flagship Renters Reform Bill before a general election this year.
It seems more and more likely that this proverbial house will crumble on the sand it has been built on before it reaches its third reading.
According to the Whitehall source, Anthony Mangnall and a ‘small group of landlord MPs’ look to be holding the bill to ransom.
Mangnall said he intends to ‘amend the bill not to kill it.’
The bill seeks to address the major issues in the private renting market, including the controversial Section 21; ‘no fault evictions’; introduce rolling tenancies so landlords will have to seek court evictions and forcibly apply the Decent Home Standard.
Under current legislation, landlords in England can issue a Section 21 notice if they want to take possession of their property from its tenants.
Landlords do not have to give a reason for the eviction and only must give two months’ notice.
The removal of Section 21 will level the playing field for renters and landlords and give tenants the chance to negotiate with landlords who are unfair in their dealings.
Mangnall and his fellow rebels have expressed concerns specifically around Section 21.
Housing unions are fighting back against these MPs to try and get the bill pushed through before the election.
ACORN, specifically, has spearheaded the lobbying campaign for the bill since its inception.
National Organiser of ACORN Union Paul Williams said: “The fact that a handful of landlord Conservative MPs are blocking the much needed and long-awaited Renters Reform Bill is a disgrace.”
ACORN is a union for renters with over 20 branches in the UK and stretches internationally.
ACORN has said it adopts direct action to deal with local councils and private landlords. In a dispute with Lambeth Council in 2022, ACORN resorted to a striking protest, sending a gift-wrapped fake turd as a symbol of their frustration.
The action was spurred by the dire situation faced by a South London family enduring six months of sewage leaking into their council flat without any resolution from the council.
Community officer Frances Hargreaves said: “We were disappointed with their response to our member Tala and his mum.
“I mean, people shouldn’t be living with raw sewage in their home.
“Council could have worked with us to resolve the situation and get him and his men the compensation they deserved.”
The Office for National Statistics has found Lambeth to have one of the highest homeless populations in London.
The Renter’s Reform Bill according to ACORN’s Policy Officer Ben Leonard will give tenants a little bit more power and a little bit more ability to assert their rights.
This will include enforcing the Decent Home Standard without fearing being evicted by complaining to the council or landlord about their property issues.
Leonard said: “All the time tenants are too afraid to challenge around repair, too afraid to challenge on rent rises, because they know that the landlord has their ace in the pocket.”
Whilst the Renters Bill is being passed, we are seeing homelessness consistently on the rise, especially in urban areas.
According to the Trust for London, the number of rough sleepers in London soared from approximately 3,472 in 2008/09 to 11,018 in 2020/21, then dropped to 8,329 in 2021/22 before rising to 10,053 in 2022/23.
Part of the increase in homelessness is because of ‘no fault evictions’.
According to Ministry of Justice data in London alone, the number of ‘no-fault eviction’ claims has risen 62 per cent in the last year from 7,057 in 2022 to 11,457 in 2023.
If the bill does not pass by the general election, Labour has promised to pass the bill, which includes:
– No-fault evictions would be banned from the start of a tenancy.
– Landlords must wait at least two years before claiming they need to sell or move in a family member.
– Landlords must offer their property to the tenant before seeking eviction due to selling.
– Courts could refuse possession orders if they would cause greater hardship to the tenant.
– The ground for “persistent rent arrears” would be eliminated.
Feature image: Backbone Campaign via Flickr. CC BY 2.0
