Renters (Reform) Bill: Progress at last
The Renters (Reform) Bill will be back in the Commons next week as the Government pushes ahead with plans to ensure the new legislation is passed ahead of the general election.
The Government has now published the draft amendments leaked to the press before Easter, which can be read in their entirety here and include proposals that would prevent tenants from handing in their notice in the first six months of a tenancy,
They also include a commitment to reform the courts prior to the loss of Section 21 and extend grounds for possession for student lets to all student properties, not just HMOs.
The Bill, which includes more than 100 pages of amendments, will now appear before parliament on Wednesday 24 April.
NRLA Chief Executive Ben Beadle said: “Our focus has been on ensuring that when section 21 repossessions end, the replacement system works and is fair, to both tenants and responsible landlords.
“Tenants should rightly be empowered to hold rogue and criminal landlords to account to root out the minority who bring the sector into disrepute.
However, it is vital that the majority of responsible landlords have confidence in the Bill to provide the homes for rent the country needs.
“The amendments proposed by the Government strike that balance.
“It is now important to provide certainty to the market, so it can transition smoothly to the new system. We therefore call on MPs to ensure swift passage of the Bill through Parliament with the Government’s planned changes. This should be underpinned by action to improve the justice system for renters and landlords alike.”
More information
More all the latest on the Renters (Reform) Bill including the progress through parliament and FAQs click here.
