Date Published 22 July 2024
A new Renters Rights Bill has been confirmed on the 17th July 2024. This was confirmed as an announcement was made in the King's Speech saying the government would give 'greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending ‘no fault' evictions and reforming grounds for possession.' Essentially this is Labour's version of the Conservatives Renters Reform Bill, which was scrapped due to not passing through before the General Election.
Although we are unlikely to see the details of the Renters Rights Bill until October, we do understand some policies from Labour's manifesto that they want to bring in. These are listed below:
1) Getting rid of no-fault or ‘Section 21' evictions.
2) Giving tenants the power to challenge rent increases that may be designed to force them out.
3) Preventing agents and Landlords from encouraging bidding wars.
4) Giving renters the right to request a pet but enabling Landlords to request tenants take out pet damage insurance.
5) Introducing a ‘decent homes standard' to the PRS.
6) Applying Awaab's Law to the sector – i.e. fining agents or Landlords who fail to fix damp and mould problems quickly enough.
7) Creating a digital national database of Landlords and their properties – i.e. a national portal.
No doubt we will here of many other policies that Labour would like to bring in to the Renters Rights Bill. More than likely this Bill could be made a priority as one of the first major changes for the Labour government, this is due to the low-cost making it relatively quick to achieve.
In the King's Speech there was other additional housing-related legislation pledged. These include a Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill to extend their lease, buy their freehold and take over the freeholders building management functions. Due to this Bill ground rents will also be regulated for existing leaseholders. It was also announced that there will be a Planning and Infrastructure Bill aimed at promoting construction in Britain and an English Devolution Bill that will grant additional authority to metro mayors and combined authorities.
