Thank you for contacting me about reforming the private rented sector.
The Renters (Reform) Bill is intended to create a fairer rental market in England. The legislation will provide tenants with more security, while supporting responsible landlords who constitute the overwhelming majority of the sector. I am hopeful that these reforms strike the right balance between delivering security for tenants and fairness for landlords.
The Government intends to abolish Section 21 'no fault' evictions, which I recognise can deter tenants from challenging poor practice or unfair rent increases in fear they will be forced out of their home. I believe that moving to a fairer tenancy structure where all assured tenancies will become periodic will create more security for tenants, without compromising the flexibility which attracts many to the private rented sector. I understand that abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions is supported by the majority of the British public according to Ipsos polling.
There are measures within the Bill to introduce more comprehensive possession grounds so landlords can still recover their property, including where they wish to sell their property or move in close family. These are important steps in the absence of Section 21, to ensure landlords have the peace of mind that they can regain their property when their circumstances change or tenants do not fulfil their obligations.
These changes come in addition to new powers to create a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman which will provide fair, impartial and binding resolutions to many issues in the sector. The Ombudsman will allow tenants to seek redress for free, where their landlord has failed to deal with a legitimate complaint about their tenancy. The Government will also set up a Private Rented Property Portal which will help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance, giving good landlords confidence in their position. It will also increase transparency and the information available to tenants before they decide to rent a property.
I am assured that helping care leavers make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for the Government. As set out in the ‘Children's Social Care: Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy, the Government is already seeking to improve care leavers’ access to housing. For example, the Department for Education is providing over £230 million to support young people leaving care with housing, access to education, employment and training.
The Renters (Reform) Bill will outlaw blanket bans on tenants with children, or those on benefits. These clauses include a power for the Government to extend blanket ban provisions to additional cohorts in the future, should the Government find evidence that it is needed. The Minister for Levelling Up has said that this power could be used to extend the provisions to care-experienced people if evidence suggests that it would be effective. The Minister also made clear his willingness to work with colleagues to hear the challenges that care leavers face and how private rented accommodation can be made more accessible to them.
The Renters (Reform) Bill will introduce other changes to support the private rented sector as a whole. For example, it will give tenants the right to request a pet, while giving landlords the ability to require pet insurance to cover any damage to their property. The Government will also set up a Private Rented Property Portal to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance, giving good landlords confidence in their position. The portal will provide tenants with better information to help them make informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement.
On the island, I am keen for Islanders to have access to local housing. I have always maintained that the right type of housing needs to be built for Islanders, and not a mainland, retiree market. At the end of last year, I was delighted to learn that my request for Exceptional Circumstances was written into the National Planning Framework document and I expect the Local Authority to make use of this.
Thank you for taking the time to contact me.