Housing minister shares NRLA calls in Commons rental reform debate
Newly appointed housing minister Felicity Buchan MP shared NRLA calls on rental reform in a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons yesterday.
The minister said she shared the NRLA’s view that landlords’ right to repossess must be protected – and pledged that any ‘unnecessary restrictions’ on this would be removed.
The Minister, who will be addressing the NRLA’s inaugural conference in Coventry this month, said: “It is only right that landlords should be able to get their properties back when their circumstances change, or when tenants break the rules.”
“We will reform grounds of possession so that they are comprehensive, fair and efficient, and we will streamline the possession process, removing unnecessary restrictions on landlords seeking to recover their property.”
Notably, she told MPs ‘good landlords play a vital role in providing homes for millions of people across the country’, and emphasised that the new system must be a ‘stable market for landlords to invest and remain in'.
She also noted concerns the NRLA has raised about student tenancies and the proposed abolition of the fixed term contract, and said the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will continue to listen to landlords as regards student lets.
MPs were issued with a detailed briefing from the NRLA prior to the debate including our research into the potential consequences of the Government’s rental reform proposals as they stand.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, Labour member for Brighton, Kemptown, quoted the NRLA with regards to the damage the Government’s proposals could cause within the student housing market and urged the Government to come up with a workable solution.
And Bob Blackman, MP, the Conservative member for Harrow East, agreed with the NRLA as regards the impact of the recent changes to mortgage interest relief. He said many private sector landlords are leaving the market because it is no longer as profitable as it once was.
This point was echoed by Selaine Saxby MP, the Conservative member for North Devon. She acknowledged that changes to landlord tax relief had impacted the supply of rental properties in her constituency, saying: “We desperately need more people to become long-term landlords again”.
NRLA Chief Executive Ben Beadle, said he was pleased the Minister had taken on board what he had to say in one-on-one meeting ahead of yesterday’s debate.
He said: “We are delighted to see the new Minister supports our calls for strengthening possession grounds and streamlining the process for repossession and that she recognises the vital role landlords play in providing homes to millions of people across the country.
“After speaking with the Minister this week, we look forward to working constructively with her department to ensure that the proposals for reform work for both landlords and tenants.”
More Information
- For more information on the NRLA’s Landlord Conference and to buy tickets click here.
- To access a transcript of the debate, click here
- To read the Common Library Report on rental reform, click here
- To find out more about the NRLA Rental Reform Campaign and key asks, click here
