New measures to protect vulnerable tenants in rental housing in England and Wales, which were promised in the Conservatives’ manifesto in 2019, are expected to appear in the Queen’s speech on Tuesday.
The 2019 manifesto commits the government to a “tenant reform bill” that will remove Section 21 orders, which allow landlords to evict tenants with eight weeks’ notice without explaining why.
Eliminating so-called exile without guilt is a goal for housing charities such as Generation Rent and Shelter, which say they are leaving tenants in a precarious position after a government ban on evictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic was lifted.
The measures are expected to be included in the Queen’s speech, which sets the government’s policy and legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Instead of a stand-alone tenant bill, officials hope the legislation will be included in a broader “equalization law” proposed by Michael Gove, secretary of state for equalization, housing and communities.
The loss of private rent is the main cause of homelessness in England, according to the government, which promised in 2019 that “private landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants from their homes in a short time and without good reason.”
In the same year, ministers launched a consultation to repeal section 21 of the Housing Act, but its suspension was postponed several times.
The move comes at a time when the cost of living crisis and rising rents have put financial pressure on tenants following the withdrawal of state support for employees and tenants during the pandemic, which left many more exposed.
According to the real estate portal Rightmove, the average asking price for rent in London increased by 14% in the year to April and by more than 10% in the rest of England.
Meanwhile, a report released last month by the House Public Accounts Committee found that more than one in eight private rental homes in England posed a serious threat to tenants’ health and safety.
Last week, civil society groups campaigning on behalf of tenants wrote to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to present the bill and address shortcomings in the growing private rental sector.
“With rising living costs, there is additional pressure on tenants of all ages and backgrounds,” the groups wrote in the letter. “Rapidly rising rents are shrinking household budgets and pushing ordinary people away from the dream of home ownership.
“The end of coronavirus protection means that until Section 21 is repealed, rented families live in fear that requests for repairs may be met with evictions, which will eradicate their lives and add to additional financial tensions,” they added.
The Queen’s speech will announce about 20 pieces of legislation, including a bill on economic crime, a bill on financial services and a bill on the media.
However, some proposed reforms were rejected, including a bill to change the rules on audit and corporate governance, as well as a competition bill to give the emerging digital market law the power to develop codes of conduct for technology companies.
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