There’s a revolution on its way for landlords and tenants as the UK private rental sector is set to undergo its biggest shake-up in 30 years.
The Government’s Renters Reform Bill aims to transform renting for good – scrapping ‘no fault’ evictions among other measures like introducing an ombudsman to enforce renters’ rights and make it illegal for landlords to refuse to rent properties for people on benefits.
There’s a lot to get to grips with if you’re a tenant or a landlord – and the Government said it was planned that the bill would be debated and voted on before May of this year.
Part of the proposals would see a property portal created for landlords and tenants – and, where applicable, local authorities.
What is the property portal?
The new digital property portal will give tenants more transparency around the standard of the property they are about to rent and help councils if serious issues arise or take enforcement action against criminal landlords.
It was initially mooted that a landlord register would be part of the reform bill, but the Government has moved on this idea that the information is about the property rather than the person or company who owns it.
How will the property portal help tenants?
It is hoped the portal will be a trusted all-inclusive online resource for people in the private rented sector. It will be introduced so tenants are able to access necessary information about their landlord to make an informed decision when taking on a lease.
It provides scope for tenants to hold their landlords accountable should they fall short of what is expected of them in their role.
How will the property portal help landlords?
Over a million people live in ‘low-quality’ homes, the Government says. To combat this, the Renters Reform Bill introduces the Decent Homes Standard to the private sector – it is already in place for social housing.
It imposes a duty on landlords to make sure the properties they rent out are free from serious health and safety risks. Homes must be equipped with adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities and noise insulation, have adequate heating and be warm and dry, and have clean, appropriate and usable facilities.
The Government said regulations for landlords can be overwhelming – especially for first time landlords – and the bill will help them understand their legal requirements, and where possible, show that they have complied with their obligations as a landlord.
Local authorities will also benefit from this new portal. With landlord responsibilities more in the spotlight, their ability to enforce against criminal landlords will be improved as landlords will be required to register their property on the portal.
They will also be able to take enforcement action against any private landlord who fails to sign up to the portal.
Landlords will need to be ready for when the bill becomes law. Legal advice from a specialist property solicitor is highly recommended to ensure that you are in compliance with all your new obligations.
Why is this necessary?
The overriding aim for this new property portal appears to focus on bringing any criminal landlords to heel and allowing a landlord who is failing to meet their obligations to rectify their compliance, which will be more easily identifiable.
For tenants, with having more accessible information at their disposal, they will be able to make more informed decisions on their tenancy with the landlord.
The bill seeks to improve awareness for both landlords and tenants to understand their rights and responsibilities across the country, ultimately contributing to a fairer private rental sector.
The logistics of the portal remains in its very early and basic stage of development. Bendles LLP will aim to keep you updated as and when further information has been made available regarding this new property portal, and what more to expect later down the line.
When will this change?
These changes are not in force yet although it is likely the bill will be debated by May this year.
While no exact dates have been set, the plan is to implement this bill in two stages:
- Six months’ notice of the first implementation date will be given; after which all new tenancies will be periodic and 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.
Need help?
If you are a landlord or tenant who would like more information on this new bill, please do not hesitate to contact Bendles’ legal team on 01228 522215.
