Homelessness and housing have been making headlines again when the Renters’ Rights Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons.
You may remember the previous Government’s Renters’ Reform Bill which had reached the second stage reading in the House of Lords but ran out of time to progress through Parliament before the election.
The new Labour Government has committed to a new Renters’ Rights Bill, which will see the end of Section 21 no-fault evictions, give renters greater protection, and see a crackdown on unscrupulous landlords.
It will, says the Government ‘create a level playing field between tenants and landlords.’
Under current guidelines, Section 21s are used by landlords to evict tenants giving them just two months’ notice and without any reason needing to be given.
This practice has been cited as one of the major causes of homelessness in recent years and at Launchpad we have seen more people than ever at our drop-in who have received Section 21s.
It is understood that ministers will seek to enact the ban immediately after the Bill becomes law, rather than waiting to check whether the court system would be ready to deal with new cases, as the previous government proposed.
The Bill will also extend Awaab’s Law – named after the toddler who died after exposure to mould in his family’s social rented home – to the private sector to ensure all landlords speedily address hazards and make homes safe.
In addition, the Bill would end blanket bans imposed by some landlords on those receiving benefits or with children.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor is leading a cross-government taskforce to tackle record high homelessness.
She has promised a ‘council house revolution’ to reform the planning system to deliver a lot more social housing.