Legislation banning section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions that is reportedly being watered down will face a slew of amendments when it finally reaches the House of Lords, Labour’s housing spokesperson in the Lords told tenants this week.
Earlier this week, the BBC reported that ministers were consulting backbench Tory MPs on watering down planned protections for renters in England.
The Renters (Reform) Bill has reached report stage in the House of Commons but no date has been set for MPs to consider any further amendments. Once the report stage has been completed, the bill will have a third reading before it moves to the Lords.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Labour’s housing spokesperson in the Lords, told a Renters’ Reform Coalition parliamentary reception that the campaign group’s briefing on the legislation ‘did not fall on deaf ears’.
Taylor said: ‘When we get the bill, we will be putting a slew of amendments forward to make sure we make the best of this bill we can. If we get into power, we will be changing the system so we do not have these horrible barriers to people in their housing journey.’
Taylor told the event her son, a renter in London, has had to move home five times in the past three years for different reasons. ‘None of them to do with him. He pays the rent on time. He does not have anti-social behaviour. Every time it costs him a lot of money and stress,’ she said.
The Renters’ Reform Coalition reception, which was attended by MPs and parliamentarians, heard that tenants are worried they will be evicted if they complain about the poor state of their property. One tenant called for a cap on rent hikes as a safeguard against exploitation. ‘Unaffordable rent increases force tenants to move out and undermine the Renters (Reform) Bill by bringing “no fault” eviction by the back door,’ she said.
Meanwhile the Law Society said it is disappointed at further obstacles being places in the way of abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions.
Society president Nick Emmerson said: ‘The suggested changes would require that the Ministry of Justice should report the impact on courts before “no fault” evictions are banned. While assessing the impact should be part of the implementation process, it should not be written into legislation or used as a reason to further delay the removal of section 21.’
