Industry News


Government confirms ‘no fault’ evictions to be scrapped


deliver a fairer and more effective rental market in the private sector. However, landlords have warned of a possible


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mass sell-off of homes that could spark a rent crisis, as demand outstrips supply, forcing rents up at a much faster rate and locking many low-income people out of the market. Alternatively many tenants and prospective


tenants will only be able to afford the worst quality and sub-standard homes let by rogue landlords. The main elements of the Bill will be: • Abolishing the use of ‘no fault’ evictions by removing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 and reforming the grounds for possession;


• Giving landlords more rights to gain possession of their property through the courts where there is a legitimate need for them to do so by reforming current legislation. Court processes will also be speeded up allowing landlords to get their property back quicker and easier;


• Introducing a new lifetime deposit so that tenants do not need to save for a new deposit every time they move house; and


• Continuing to develop and implement measures to wider access and expand the scope of the database of rogue landlords and property agents giving greater powers to drive improvements in standards, and empowering tenants to make an informed choice about who they rent from.


Section 21 evictions are associated with the rapid increase in homelessness seen in the past decade. All of the main political parties were committed to


he Government has announced plans to introduce a Renters’ Reform Bill, which it says will introduce a package of reforms to


it being scrapped during the recent general election campaign. The Residential Landlords Association has


repeatedly warned ministers they must make sure landlords have confidence in the repossession system after Section 21 is scrapped or there could be a mass sell-off of properties by landlords. The RLA says that any new system brought in to


replace Section 21 must ensure landlords can swiftly and effectively repossess properties in legitimate circumstances, such as for rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.


CLEAR AND COMPREHENSIVE GROUNDS The RLA wants a new framework to provide clear and comprehensive grounds on which landlords can repossesses, with guarantees about the timeframes involved and measures to prevent abuses by problem tenants. There are also calls for a dedicated housing court


to ensure there is easy and quick access to justice where there are conflicts between landlords and tenants. David Smith, RLA policy director said: “We


accept the need to protect tenants from abuse, but it is crucial that plans to reform the way repossessions can take place are got right if the Government is to avoid a rental housing crisis. “Unless the new system is fair to good landlords


as well as tenants, those same landlords who we need to support simply will not have the confidence to provide the rented homes that are needed to meet the demand.” Almost 6,500 landlords and agents were surveyed


by the RLA last year in the wake of the announcement about Section 21 being scrapped,


with half saying they would sell some or all of their rental homes. Another key finding was that Section 21 is used


to repossess property where the tenant is at fault, with many landlords using it in cases of rent arrears and antisocial behaviour, as they lack confidence in the Section 8 process. The research found that 83 per cent of landlords


who had used Section 21 had done so due to rent arrears, while over half had relied on it when their tenants were behaving antisocially.


Beefed up measures to improve building safety standards


Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced a raft of new measures to improve building safety and ensure residents can feel safe in their homes in the future. More than two and half years since the Grenfell


fire and just ahead of the public inquiry resuming, the Government committed itself to delivering the biggest change in building safety ‘for a generation’. Among the measures announced are: • The new Building Safety Regulator will be established within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Dame Judith Hackitt will chair its Board;


• Government has clarified and consolidated advice for building owners, including proposals to extend the cladding ban, as well as updates on fire doors and water sprinkler systems;


• Owners of tower blocks who have not taken action to make their buildings safe will be named from February; and


• Response to Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry published


Jenrick warned the slow pace of improving building safety standards will not be tolerated, while oversight of the design, construction and occupation of high-risk buildings will be performed by a new regulator established as part of the HSE. Where the owners of tower blocks have no clear


plan for remediation, to remove unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, the Government says it will work with local authorities to support them in their enforcement options. Jenrick confirmed he will consult on extending


8 | HMM February/March 2020 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


the ban on combustible materials to buildings below 18 metres and will seek views on how risks are assessed within existing buildings to inform future policy. The Government has also set out further details


of the upcoming Fire Safety Bill being introduced to Parliament. This will clarify the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, ‘the Fire Safety Order’, requiring residential building owners to fully consider and mitigate the risks of any external wall systems and front doors to individual flats. A call for evidence will also be published, seeking


views on the assessment of risks within existing buildings. This important will help to gather ideas and lead to research which will provide a firm evidence base to guide decisions for both existing buildings and future regulatory regimes.


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