Renting: No-fault evictions to be banned in England

[mokka]

Landlords are to be prevented from evicting tenants in England without giving a reason, under proposals published in a government White Paper.

The Renters Reform Bill will also end blanket bans on benefit claimants or families with children - and landlords must consider requests to allow pets.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61817249

[kelbol]

Yet another nail in the coffin.
The gov is hell-bent on destroying small landlords.
This will backfire badly for tenants in the long-term.

[1600e]

I can't find anywhere stating the date when this will come in? I'm panicking a bit, don't want to sell up (yet) but don't want to be lumbered with a couple of tenants of mine that are flakey with the rent and are anti social and disrespectful benefit claimers.
Being a kind sympathetic landlord to those on benefits has slightly back fired on me and it's not getting better regardless of my intervention.
Due to personal reasons I could do with a good 6 months notice before the law says I'm stuck with them for ever.
May be I should issue a s21 now which will give me that grace period.

[jpkeates]

Maybe I should issue a s21 now which will give me that grace period.

It'll expire in six months - and this bill won't be law for ages.

[Sol_1969]

It'll expire in six months - and this bill won't be law for ages.

Any idea of timescales?
Do you think landlords will still be able to put up rent if a landlord is currently charging below the going rate for the area?

[jpkeates]

Any idea of timescales?
Do you think landlords will still be able to put up rent if a landlord is currently charging below the going rate for the area?

I have no idea until the Bill's actually published.
They've not said that they plan to change the current section 13 process.

[jase222]

Personally I think it will be a couple of years yet as until they put in place alternative eviction processes it will be impossible and the tenants will pay in the end

[KathyS]

Can you not just daisy-chain fixed notice periods? I assume this is just an issue when it is rolling as you can still ask tenants to leave with no fault at the end of the term right?

Maybe increase rent a little then return it in the form of a signing bonus to renew the fixed term? A way to keep the no fault ability for "free" and most would grab the "free" money!

[junglerower]

I never had to evict a tenant in the 12 years I am a landlord. However, many tenants I deal with are being forced out of their houses because their previous landlord decided to sell up.
I have been the victim of this myself twice while I was renting too, so I can see the problem for both sides.
So does this stop evictions due to the landlord selling up?

[boletus]

They've not said that they plan to change the current section 13 process.

From the article;

The bill will also:

• end "arbitrary" rent-review clauses, so tenants can leave poor-quality housing without being liable for the rent
• double notice periods for rent increases

[ExpertInAField]

Can you not just daisy-chain fixed notice periods? I assume this is just an issue when it is rolling as you can still ask tenants to leave with no fault at the end of the term right?

No, the tenant can stay on past the expiry of the fixed term and it automatically goes periodic. You have no ability to automatically evict at the end of a fixed period.

So does this stop evictions due to the landlord selling up?

From prior discussions, it would likely be similar to what Scotland has had for years. You can evict in order to sell or move in yourself.


I keep seeing talk about how all this is going to do is just increase rents to existing tenants. I'm not so sure it will. I expect other landlords to try and increase rent but it's coming to the point where tenants have no spare money to pay the rent, so you will not be able to find anyone able to rent at the amount you want. That and it will piss off the public even more which will likely cause the government to come down even harder on landlords due to public outcry.

[theartfullodger]

Until we see the final, after revisions, legislation we won't know the consequences.


Artful: Also landlord in Scotland where s21 equivalent was abolished some years ago, complete new tenancy (PRT). Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016

Not unhappy with how Scotland handled things, but Johnson's "government" won't take lessons from there - they'll take the "Not invented here" route...

Expect another "world beating" clusterf*ck with it...

[boletus]

it's coming to the point where tenants have no spare money to pay the rent, so you will not be able to find anyone able to rent at the amount you want.

I've recently had over 70 rental enquiries before pulling the ad. Some offered 6 months rent in advance. Of those on my shortlist, they could afford a 50% rent increase. That is before we get to the flat share stage of two high earners.

I think there's still a long way to go for rent increases.

[ExpertInAField]

I think it may depend where you are in the country. There may be room for additional increases in some areas, but not in others. We are a collection of people that are all individual but yet are affected by the actions of all the others. So where rents could increase in the north, it may cause a big outcry in the south which would have a knock on affect on the North.

[wilba]

Is there any detail on the changes to end a tenancy if you need to sell?
I can sell now but if I can later it maybe an option.