The government’s changes to tenant legislation will help build better relationships between residents and their landlords.
This is according to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove, who released a statement following the announcement of the Renters Reform Bill last week.
Its 12-point plan of action includes halving the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030 and introducing a Decent Homes Standard; abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions from landlords; ensuring that property owners can gain possession of their assets when necessary; allowing annual rent increases; introducing a new single Ombudsman that private landlords must join; enabling tenants to request a pet in their property, which landlords must consider; and making it illegal for agents to ban renting to families or those receiving benefits.
Mr Gove stated: “This government is determined to tackle these injustices by offering a New Deal to those living in the private rented sector; one with quality, affordability, and fairness at its heart.”
He added that as well as helping renters, the New Deal will “reset the tenant-landlord relationship by making sure that complaints are acted upon and resolved quickly”.
The MP revealed the number of non-decent rented homes has dropped from 1.4 million in 2010 to one million today, thanks to “significant action” the government has taken.
At the same time, the number of households in rented accommodation has risen by 45 per cent from 2008-09 to 2020-21, reaching 4.4 million homes. It now accounts for 19 per cent of all households, rising from 14 per cent in 2008-09, according to government figures.
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