During the coronavirus pandemic, there were frequent changes made to the eviction process in landlord and tenant disputes.
We’ve also seen changes to the requirements of the rented property in recent years, such as the requirements for an EPC, and the Gas Safety Requirements in 2018 to name a couple.
Then, following the Queen’s Speech in May this year, we were told more change was on the way. The new Renters Reform Bill was introduced, with the main purpose being to abolish no fault Section 21 Evictions.
Changes to no fault evictions
Currently, a Section 21 eviction requires a tenant to leave after two months’ notice. There does not need to be any other reason; although there usually is.
In 2019/2020, more than 22 per cent of renters saw their tenancy end by no fault of their own.
By banning this form of notice the Government hopes that this will reduce the number of evictions which increased significantly as we moved away from the COVID-19 eviction restrictions.
This creates greater security for renters by preventing having their tenancy ended for no reason. On the other hand, the changes will make it much more difficult for landlords to remove tenants once the tenancy (which is only supposed to be for a set period) has come to an end.
Changes to the quality of properties
By 2030, this bill intends to halve the number of non-decent rented homes. Shockingly, around a million homes currently do not meet the Decent Homes Standard.
The Decent Homes Standard will become legally binding as part of this bill, a first for the private rented sector.
What is the Decent Homes Standard?
The Government’s white paper says that a decent home needs to be free from the most serious health and safety hazards, such as fall risks, fire risks, or carbon monoxide poisoning.
It means landlords will need to ensure their rented homes don’t fall into disrepair, and address problems before they get worse and require more expensive work.
Kitchens and bathrooms need to be located correctly, are adequate and not too old, with decent noise insulation. Landlords will also need to update their tenants facilities to keep them clean, appropriate, and useable – plus all homes will need to be warm and dry.
Success in this area will see tenants benefitting from safer, better quality and better value homes. The ban on the Section 21 notice procedures will add even greater security on top of this.
Other changes
There will be a private landlord ombudsman introduced to resolve disputes without the need of court action. Also, a new property portal will assist both landlord and tenants in understanding their obligations better.
These changes are not in force yet, but change is coming. Whilst no dates have been set, the plan is to implement this bill in two stages with at least a year between each stage:
- Six months’ notice of the first implementation date will be given; after which all new tenancies will be governed by the new rules.
- All existing tenancies will transition to the new system on a second implementation date. After this point, all tenants will be protected from Section 21 eviction.
