HMO Renters Reform Bill
Last week James Berry braved Storm Ciaran to attend 'The National HMO Network Conference', in Oswestry. The Network brings together people from many disciplines including local authority HMO licensing and enforcement officers, landlords, tenants' groups, academic institutions and government officials to name but a few.
This was a good opportunity to spread awareness of PCA members to conscientious landlords, but it also provided an interesting insight into the issues they are currently facing. Whilst it was clear that there was some concern about damp and mould, unquestionably the biggest topic of debate was The Renters (Reform) Bill.
The Renters (Reform) Bill >>
What is the proposed legislation meant to do?
The headline grabber is that it will end 'no fault' (section 21) evictions and strong protection from back door evictions. But this is not all that is included within the proposal. It also proposed that an ombudsman service is introduced for rental properties, which will act as an equivalent to the housing ombudsman for social housing. The intention would be to make enforcement of standards easier.
A further part of the proposal to help reduce the number of 'non-decent rental homes, is a Private Rental Property Portal (PRPP). This would be a basic central register confirming the properties are of a ‘decent’ standard to rent out.
Will it come into force?
The first reading of the bill was back in May, but things were quiet until a second reading took place just a few weeks ago.
Some questions were raised as to whether a change in government, with a general election predicted for late next year, would prevent this legislation from being passed. However, it has also been suggested that many politicians such as Michael Gove are working on what they might consider to be their last chance to leave a lasting legacy, and are therefore keen to ensure this bill is pushed through.
Why is this important to us as a sector?
The big question of course is will The Renters (Reform) Bill and the new ombudsman make landlords more accountable and encourage them to rectify damp issues more hastily. This is clearly the intention and should be applauded. However we must be careful that forcing landlords to undertake work(s) does not encourage them to become part of this great race to the bottom and appoint the cheapest contractor with little regard for competence or quality.
When considering homes are of a ‘decent’ standard, I think the minimum that could be expected is that it complies with the building regulations, particularly ventilation.
This is potentially a very interesting piece of legislation for our sector and one that the Association will continue to monitor and look to contribute to, as more details are released.