Aim for no-fault eviction ban to be in place by summer

The government hopes a ban on evicting tenants in England without a reason will be in place by next summer, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has said.

The plans are part of a Renters’ Rights Bill, which was published and introduced to Parliament on Wednesday.

A ban on “no-fault” evictions was first proposed under the Conservatives but it was delayed amid concern about the impact on landlords from some Tory MPs, and time ran out to pass the law before July’s election was called.

The bill would also ban “bidding wars” and prevent landlords from blocking tenants on benefits or with children.

Renter groups welcomed the bill, which they said included stronger protections than the previous version.

However, they said more work was needed to combat unreasonable rent increases.

Meanwhile, landlords said it was “vital” the sector had enough time to properly prepare for the changes.

Asked how quickly the changes would be introduced, Pennycook told BBC Breakfast: “We hope [the bill] will make very quick progress through the House of Commons and that we have that new tenancy system in place within the first half or around summer next year.”

The plans must be approved by MPs and peers, who could propose further changes, before they become law.

Under the proposals, Pennycook said landlords would still have “robust grounds” for regaining possession of their property if needed; for example, if they wanted to sell or move into the home, or if a tenant was causing anti-social behaviour or in rent arrears.

Anne, from Northampton, said she was left in “a state of limbo” after her landlord served her with a no-fault eviction notice.

“[My landlord] wanted to live in it again which is fair enough. But it was my home,” she told BBC Radio 5 live.

“I was left unable to afford to rent privately because in the last four years the rents have gone up drastically.”

Anne was facing homelessness, which she described as a “horrible experience”, until her local council found her temporary accommodation at the last minute.

She’s now waiting for a permanent home.

“Fair enough that [my landlord] should be able to have her house back. But where does that leave me?” she said.

“The bigger issue is the lack of options available to people like me.”

Ben Twomey, chief executive of campaign group Generation Rent, said banning no-fault evictions was “painfully overdue” and would “give tenants more confidence to challenge disrepair and poor treatment by landlords and letting agents”.

He added: “The government has also promised to provide tenants with greater protections against unreasonable rent increases, but more work is required to make this a reality.”

The government said the bill would ban in-tenancy rent increases being written into contracts and landlords would only be allowed to raise the rent once a year to the market rate.

However, housing charity Shelter said in-tenancy rent increases must be limited further so they are in line with inflation or wage growth to prevent renters being “forced out by colossal rent hikes”.

Tom Darling, director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said the new bill was “a stronger piece of legislation than the previous attempt”, including longer notice periods for tenants who are evicted and a longer period at the start of a tenancy where people are protected from eviction.

However, he said “there are still areas for improvement”.

“This draft law has little to say about one of the biggest issues facing renters – cost,” he said.

“‘Economic evictions’ through rent rises are a major factor in homelessness and insecurity.”

Other measures in the bill include:

• giving tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords cannot unreasonable refuse
• a ban on rental bidding wars, with landlords and letting agents legally required to publish an asking rent for their property and prevented from encouraging or accepting bids above this price
• extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, forcing landlords to fix issues like damp and mould within a specified timeframe
• ending blanket bans on tenants with children or those on benefits

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association said it was vital the bill was “fair to both tenants and landlords”.

Under the proposals, he said courts would need to hear possession claims where landlords had a legitimate reason to regain their property.

Mr Beadle pointed to warnings from MPs that “without reforms to ensure the courts process cases much more swiftly, they risk becoming overwhelmed”.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said any new regulations must be “necessary and proportionate”.

They added that “badly drafted laws will cut supply, forcing up rents and reducing choice for renters”.