Legislation banning reforming Section 21 could be introduced within six months.
Prime minister Theresa May said that a consultation into repealing Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act will be published “shortly with a view to introducing legislation later this year”.
The timescale suggests that the ban could be in place as early as next spring. Once in place, it would mean that landlords and their agents could no longer reclaim rental properties without having a specific, legal reason.
Speaking to delegates at a housing conference in Manchester, May said that the Conservatives’ “truly radical reforms have come in our work to support those who rent.
“We are rebalancing the relationship between tenant and landlord, making major changes that will make an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of millions of families.
“In the private sector we have already capped the size of rent deposits and abolished letting fees, cutting the amount tenants have to find up-front and making it harder for landlords and agents to take advantage of desperate house-hunters.
“Now we are going further.
“So we are bringing to an end the practice of so-called ‘no fault’ evictions.”
In the same speech, May also slammed ‘rabbit hutch’ new homes, saying that the next government “should be bold enough to ensure the Nationally Described Space Standard applies to all new homes”.
She said that would end the “era of too-small homes that keep the housing numbers ticking over but are barely fit for modern family life”.
Comments (13)
In a country run by lawyers we have come to expect legislation to be implemented which requires the use of lawyers!
#QuaffQuaffQuaff!
I hope Ros doesn’t mind me mentioning it, but I have begun an additional discussion on this – where I also refer back to this site’s thread.
https://www.property118.com/the-scrapping-of-section-21-landlord-responses/
May has never been able to make the correct assessment about anything. Just look at her entire life as a politician. Lives in another world that is a bubble, like most MP’s. Conservatives need to look at what they stand for and stand their ground. I haven’t a clue what they represent today, let alone who.
Has Mrs May ever talked to a landlord about section 21 or indeed about being a landlord? No fault is the exception. Most evictions are for non-payment of rent, damage to the property and anti-social behaviour. S21 is used because section 8 takes too long. Without section 21 tenants from hell will be able to cause trouble for longer and their neighbours (or fellow house mates in an HMO) can either lump it or leave! So much for protecting tenants.
You will leave the vulnerable at the mercy of the vicious, Mrs May.
First hand empathy with tenants I guess. After all Mrs May is about to be evicted from 10 Downing Street. I bet it is sow grapes!!
We let mainly to students on fixed term contracts which are joint and several tenancies, how is this going to work, how are we going to evict one year of students for the new intake?
Granted most wish to go, but what happens if they don’t?
Anyone got any answers?
Get the tenants to sign a notice to quit at the start of the tenancy. You can then take them to court if they don’t leave at the end of the tenancy and receive double the old rent as mesne profit (don’t accept it as rent as that would create a new tenancy).
I expect that will be made illegal.
As Rene Artois (Allo Allo) woud say “You Stupid Woman”. Not enough that she screws up the country with her failure on Brexit causing untold damage in confidence in many industries and damage to the UK reputation but has now confirmed that any consultation is a total sham stating this abolition will happen in a few months time. Looks to me like the German politics and the 1930’s and not the demoracy we are told we have. She really does want to be remembered in history! Mind you we were told the Dartford Bridge crossing would be free once it was paid for – major lie. In London we had a surcharge (Boris Johnson) on our council tax to pay for the Olympics – never revoked another lie. Manefesto well just another whoppa none of this attacking of landlords was mentioned.
So true!…every word of your comment 😉
If you truly were rebalancing the role between tenant and landlord you would make evicting a tenant who doesnt pay their rent a mere formality, rather than the 6 monthly process it currently is
I agree with everything except the six months which is a very optimistic timescale. My last section 21 (for rent arrears but not two months) took just over a year.
Not a chance of happening anytime soon IMHO.