Campaigners who turned on the Prime Minister on Tuesday were cock-a-hoop just 24 hours later when Liz Truss did another U-turn and pledged that Section 21 eviction powers WOULD be abolished after all.
Government leaks to The Times early this week suggested the government was reneging on its long-held commitment to scrap Section 21 as part of its Renters Reform Bill: those leaks provoked sharp responses from a coalition of the property establishment like the Nationwide and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health on the one hand, and direct action group Acorn and activists within the Generation Rent pressure group.
However, those critics soon issued statements of support for Truss after her U-turn was made at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
Generation Rent tweeted: “It's a relief to hear that ending Section 21 is still on the government's agenda, but it needs to be part of a Renters Reform Bill that is introduced as soon as possible #GetRentingDone”
The Renters Reform Coalition - officially a combination of various pressure groups but managed by Generation Rent - took to social media to say: “Confirmation of the government’s commitment to ending Section 21 from Liz Truss at PMQs is welcome news. But we have more questions.When and how? What about the Renters' Reform Bill that was promised this Autumn? #RentersAreWaiting”
Acorn, which describes itself as a union and which endorses direct action in some circumstances, tweeted; “The government might have U-turned on this, but they’ve already dragged their feet for 3 years since promising to abolish no fault evictions. Our mass eviction resistance training will continue. Let’s make our neighbourhoods eviction free this winter.”
Meanwhile Shelter - which worked closely with former housing minister Eddie Hughes on framing the Renters Reform Bill - says on social media: “Renters deserve better than this chaos. It’s time to bring forward the #RentersReformBill and give renters security once and for all.”
Kiran Ramchandani, director of policy and external affairs at the Crisis charity, says: “After an anxious 24 hours renters will be breathing a sigh of relief to hear the Prime Minister reconfirm the Government’s commitment to ending no-fault evictions. No one should be needlessly evicted from their home as we head into what will be an extremely challenging winter for thousands. The Government must now confirm they will bring forward the Renters Reform Bill in this parliament so that renters can be given the stability they are crying out for.”
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security once and for all.” How is that going to work with the masses that will now sell. Shelter the charity (Business) that houses no one. Now will be the cause of many not being able to find a place to live.
The question is, Shelter lobbied for the tenant fee ban, now this, what's next?
I and many others fear what Polly has next in her sights which is why so many are selling up. A shame that Shelter have never sheltered anyone, despite their millions in the bank. Have to pay for Polly somehow i suppose.
When it eventually comes through, these organisations will shout from the hilltops about what a dramatic change THEY have made happen. What they won't tell you, or the press, is that this change will, in real terms, change this for somewhere in the region of 3-5%. That's it. 85% of tenants leave by their own volition. Arrears and ASN enforcement will (supposedly) be strengthened. Right to re-occupy & sell will also be protected.
However, the Landlords who are scared of what this COULD mean to them. Either intimidated by the hype or fed up of a constant barrage of law and regulations will exit, further reducing supply, making finding a home harder, more stressful and pushing rents even further than they are now.
Any attempt to explain the impact of this, and other measures they are pushing for, and how this will largely impact tenants negatively is dismissed as self-interested lies.
Sadly, the figureheads will continue to peacock around in the press puffing out their chests and slapping themselves on the back for 'championing tenants'- whilst the very people they proclaim to petition on behalf of will suffer the very real circumstances.
For Landlords that stay the course, rents will continue to climb encouraging landlords to expand their portfolios as the sector will consolidate into fewer landlords with larger portfolios.
The press has a lot to answer for, carrying their campaign and battlecry with heavy coverage- with little to no attempt to offer balance and context to their claims and proposals. Our government, with Housing Ministers revolving faster than a spinning top, are left floundering, creating click-bait policies to appease the very few with very loud voices.
Exactly this. Their last major interference via the tenant fee ban didn't "help" tenants either.
The true ramifications of the policies being trumpeted are glaringly obvious to anyone with half a brain but on they go regardless so large scale supply shortages, rocketing rents & homelessness are all very real prospects for the tenants that this is "helping". Generation Rent & co will be the downfall of those they claim to assist.
I am a professional private landlord and even with Section 21, during the Covid lockdown , lost thousands of pounds in rent arrears.The Courts were blocked up creating long delay. Now with the new legislation and financial crises , large numbers of tenants will go into arrears. The Courts will not be able to deal with the high numbers and become blocked up. Will landlords put up with this threatening situation ?No , they are selling up !
Section 21 abolished section 8 ,!! ,you can't trust the government to get it right look at the gas certificate fiasco seving at least 1 day before the tenancy starts most landlords served on the day I was lucky pre 2015 contact,proposed section 8 ,so if you want to move in yourself, what other if buts or maybes will be in this or having to sell I woud not trust them on this , just look at all the u turns I'm out if I can
Well done Shelter and generation rent and a Clueles government you have destroyed the private rental sector
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