-
Private landlords will be banned from having ‘No DSS’ and
‘no children’ policies
-
Decent Homes Standard introduced in the private rented
sector for the first time
-
Councils given stronger powers to investigate poor practice
and impose penalties
Changes put forward to the Renters (Reform) Bill to crack down on
rogue landlords, protect vulnerable residents and improve the
decency and safety of homes for millions of tenants are being
introduced today (15 November).
The Government has tabled amendments to make it illegal for
landlords and agents to have blanket bans on renting to people
who receive benefits or who have children – ensuring families
aren’t discriminated against when looking for a home to rent and
protecting the most vulnerable. Landlords will still be able to
carry out referencing checks to make sure a tenancy is affordable
and have the final say on who they let their property to. This
will apply to England and Wales and will be extended to Scotland
via a further amendment at Report Stage.
Alongside this, the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) will be applied
to the private rented sector for the first time. The new standard
will set a clear bar for what tenants should expect from their
home ensuring it is safe, warm and decent. It will be set
following further consultation and will help to meet the target
of reducing non-decency in rented homes by 50% by 2030.
Housing Secretary said:
“Everyone deserves a home that is safe, warm and decent. But far
too many live in conditions that fall well below what is
acceptable. As part of our Long-Term Plan for Housing we are
improving housing standards across the entire private rented
sector, while also ending discrimination against vulnerable
people and families who are being unfairly denied access to a
home.”
Local Authorities will be given new enforcement powers to require
landlords to make properties decent, with fines up to £30,000 or
a banning order in the worse cases. Tenants will also be able to
claim up to 24 months rent back through rent repayment orders up
from 12 previously.
Councils will also be given stronger powers to investigate
landlords who rent substandard homes, providing them with the
tools they need to identify and take enforcement action against
the criminal minority and help drive them out of the sector.
The amendments will now be considered at Committee stage for the
Bill in the House of Commons and are a vital next step in
delivering a fairer system for both tenants and landlords. The
changes will support the majority of good landlords by making
existing rules clearer and more enforceable.
The wider reforms in the Bill are a once-in-a-generation change
to housing laws to ensure the 11 million tenants across
England will benefit from safer, fairer and higher quality homes.
This includes a ban on ‘no fault’ evictions to protect tenants
and give them the security to call out poor standards without
fear of losing their home. It also gives tenants a legal
right to ask for a pet and creates a new Ombudsman to resolve
issues with their landlords more quickly.
The reforms are part of the Government’s long-term plan for
housing that includes speeding up the planning system and
reducing delays to ensure we can build the homes that
communities want and need.
ENDS
Further information
The full list of amendments can be found here: Renters (Reform) Bill
publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament
