New Rental Housing Legislation Boosts Rights of Renters in England
Effective from 1st May, the Renters’ Rights Act came into play in England, marking the first major overhaul of rental housing legislation since 1988. This key law introduces several reforms that impact both renters and landlords.
The most noteworthy reform is the eradication of ‘Section 21’ or no-fault evictions that previously allowed landlords to evict tenants without a specific reason, which has been linked by many to increasing homelessness rates. Under the new law, evictions can only be executed if landlords intend to move into or sell the property. Additionally, eviction notice periods have been extended from two months to four.
There’s also a major shift regarding rental tenancies, which will now return to rolling contracts, eliminating the previous 12 or 24 months fixed terms. New provisions will also enable tenants to challenge excessive rent increases. Furthermore, the scope of Awaab’s Law, named after a toddler who tragically died due to prolonged exposure to mold, will be expanded next year to cover a broader range of health and safety hazards. This law mandates social landlords to address emergency hazards like serious damp and mold within specified timeframes.
The new law has been well-received by various groups, including homelessness charities and unions. Acorn, a renters and community union, expressed its approval, noting that this law will impact around 12 million renters nationwide – making it the most significant change in a generation. Acorn’s National Chair, Chelsea Phillips, celebrated the achievement, crediting it to over a decade of tenants’ actions, organization, and refusal to accept a system that did not serve their interests.
Despite the widespread support, the new law has also drawn criticism. Detractors suggest that it could push landlords with smaller operations out of the market, favouring larger corporate landlords. Concerns have also been raised about potentially inflated rent prices and the reduced power of landlords to evict genuinely problematic tenants if the volume of properties on the market decreases.
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