Renters 'failed' by government after reform Bill scrapped, campaigners say
Renters have been "failed" by the government after a law to reform renters' rights has been scrapped, campaigners say.
The Renters Reform Bill, which would give renters better protections, has been shelved after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a surprise election on Wednesday.
MPs will pack up and head out on the campaign trail from next week, which means Friday is the last day to get laws through Parliament.
While some laws are set to make it through, others, like the renters Bill and the PM's flagship ban on smoking, will fall.
One of the central promises of the Bill was to end section 21 so-called no-fault evictions, which the government first committed to in 2019 under then Prime Minister Theresa May.
Housing charity Shelter said renters have been “failed”. Polly Neate, its chief executive, said: “Renters have been shouting from the rooftops about the urgent need for reform, but once again politicians have let them down.”
She said tenants “have endured hellish conditions and rocketing evictions”, with thousands of households threatened with homelessness because of a no-fault eviction since the government promised to scrap them.
Official figures published this month showed a six-year high in repossessions by bailiffs through no-fault evictions.
There were 2,682 such repossessions between January and March this year, according to Ministry of Justice figures – a rise of almost a fifth on the same period last year and the highest number for any quarter since the beginning of 2018.
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Campaigners were already furious that the Bill has been progressively watered down, with the government making concessions after pressure from Tory MPs who are landlords. The ban on no-fault evictions has now been delayed until a review of the courts system can take place.
Labour have committed to abolishing Section 21 notices if they win the election, saying they will pass legislation that "abolishes Section 21 no-fault evictions immediately and decisively levels the playing field between landlords and tenants.”
Matthew Pennycook, Labour's Shadow Minister for Housing said: “The Tories' decision to cave in to vested interests and abandon their already weakened Renters Reform Bill leaves in tatters the promises they made to private tenants five years ago.
“If the Tories get back in, renters will remain exposed to spiralling costs, poor housing standards and the risk of homelessness from no-fault evictions."
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) insisted the Bill was “in a state which would work for tenants and responsible landlords”.
Ben Beadle, NRLA chief executive, said: “If true, it is hugely disappointing that this Bill will not now make it into law.
“The news comes despite the fact that the Bill was in a state which would work for tenants and responsible landlords."
The Liberal Democrats described it as “another Conservative promise abandoned and left in a ditch”.
Among the laws which are set to make it through on Friday afternoon are the Post Office Offences Bill, the law which allows victims of the infected blood scandal to get compensation, and the Leasehold and Freehold Bill, which will "slash unfair costs and crack down on exploitation."
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