Labour today calls on the government to urgently introduce a
package of protections for private renters, as the Tory mortgage
bombshell and rampant inflation threaten to hammer renters and
put them at risk of eviction.
It comes as new analysis by the party shows Tory failure to
protect renters is affecting thousands of families in areas
across the UK, including 1.2 million families across the North,
800,000 in the Midlands and over a million in London.
Labour is calling on Sunak to face down his MPs that are blocking
reform, and act urgently to implement much needed protections.
The government recently published a package of reforms to protect
renters, but there are significant doubts about the progress of
the legislation after backbench Tory MPs began a concerted
briefing campaign against the Bill, with as many as 50 Tory MPs
reportedly prepared to vote against it.
Labour announced a comprehensive Private Renter’s Charter in 2022
with a package of measures to make renting fairer, more secure
and more affordable, including a ban on no-fault evictions,
lengthening notice periods for landlords seeking repossession,
making deposits more flexible and a new code of practice for
letting agents.
Labour is calling on the government to urgently implement some of
these measures to help with the current economic turmoil,
starting with:
· Banning no-fault evictions
· Lengthening notice periods
in cases of repossession
· A code of practice for
letting agents to stamp out bad practice and ensure renters are
treated fairly
The Tories promised to ban no-fault evictions over four years
ago, but opposition from backbench MPs means reform has stalled,
leaving renters without badly needed protections after the Tories
mismanaged the economy over 13 years and then crashed it, sending
the housing market into turmoil.
, Shadow Housing
Secretary, said:
“While ministers and Tory MPs argue amongst themselves, renters
are left in limbo waiting for basic reforms that are long
overdue, and grappling with the fallout from the Tory mortgage
bombshell.
“Labour will never treat renters as second-class citizens. We
will make renting fairer, more secure and more affordable with
our Renters’ Charter.
“We will scrap no-fault evictions, introduce a four-month notice
period for landlords, a national register of landlords, and a
suite of new rights for tenants – including the right to make
alterations to your home, the right to request speedy repairs,
and the right to have pets.”
Ends
Notes
Latest data found a 113% annual rise in no-fault
evictions:https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_release/_116_annual_rise_in_no-fault_evictions_shows_why_renters_reform_bill_is_vital_
The publication of the renters reform Bill was significantly
delayed due to backbench concerns from Tory MPs, with Tory MPs
already briefing against the Bill. Press reports as many as 50
could vote against it: https://www.qualityestateagents.co.uk/1875/,https://propertyindustryeye.com/renters-reform-bill-delayed-again-tories-warned-not-to-backtrack/
The government first pledged to scrap no-fault evictions over
four years ago, in April 2019:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-end-to-unfair-evictions
Labour has repeatedly called on the government to urgently scrap
no-fault evictions:https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2021/11/labour-joins-call-for-faster-scrapping-of-s21-evictions?source=mostcommented
Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary Lisa Nandy announced Labour’s
Private Renter’s Charter at Labour’s 2022 Annual Conference:
https://labour.org.uk/press/lisa-nandy-conference-speech/
ONS 2021 Census Table TS054 provides numbers of renting
households by region:https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS054/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/dfb1731d-3c51-4d3f-97c9-5a61a7e41ca5#get-data
