The government has pledged that section 21 repossessions will not be scrapped until improvements have been made to the way courts handle legitimate possession cases.
At present it takes an average of over half a year for the courts to process possession claims where landlords have good cause, such as tenant rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.
Responding to a report from the House of Commons Housing Select Committee ahead of MPs debating the Renters Reform Bill on Monday, the government has confirmed that implementation of the new system for repossessing properties “will not take place until we judge sufficient progress has been made to improve the courts.”
It continues: “That means we will not proceed with the abolition of section 21, until reforms to the justice system are in place.”
Alongside this, the government has agreed to establishr a new ground to repossess properties to protect the yearly nature of the student housing market.
The government has said it will “introduce a ground for possession that will facilitate the yearly cycle of short-term student tenancies” which “will enable new students to sign up to a property in advance, safe in the knowledge they will have somewhere to live the next year.”
This news - reported by the landlord body the NRLA - appears to be a major concession at the end of the final working day before the Second Reading of the Renters Reform Bill.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, says: “Reform of the rental market will only work if it has the confidence of responsible landlords every bit as much as tenants. This is especially important given the rental housing supply crisis renters now face.
“Following extensive campaigning by the NRLA, we welcome the approach taken by ministers to ensure court improvements are made before section 21 ends.
“The government is also right to protect the student housing market. However, more is needed to ensure student landlords are treated the same as providers of purpose-built student accommodation.
“We will continue to engage positively with all parties as the Bill progresses through Parliament.”
The National Residential Landlords Association has long argued that without quicker court processes, responsible landlords would simply leave the market following the abolition of section 21, at a time when renters are already struggling to find a place to live.
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Has anyone seen the steam coming out of Polly Bleat's ears yet?
So the flagship Renters Reform Bill is no longer a reform Bill and certainly not a flagship. Another policy in tatters because amateurs started to meddle without prior full consultation with professionals. Even baldrick had better plans than this lot. Having destroyed the PRS this is all to little to late. I've reduced from 14 to 6 and now I'm on that path I feel a little more relieved as each one sells. The only thing that stops me leaving straight away is that I am down to my last 6 long term excellent tenants who I will not stab in the back unlike this government with landlords. Don't trust a single word they say and never will.
So based on the speed of progress within the courts we should see this in another 10 years or so. Well done!
Oh why am I not surprised!
Me thinks this government has more salient aspects to deal with to save their Skins.
Labour into government purely by default due to the recent muppets in the blue party shooting themselves in the head, let alone their feet.
Even if the renters reform bill went through it is only as good as how long the party are in power who basically put in in place.
Renting will never be right until such time as people in power consult and listen to the professionals that actually work and experience what goes on out there and that's Landlords and tenants alike......Period!
This concession is only happening for one reason. HS2 got cancelled and the £600m in assets owned by the Crown need to be sold. To do that they need to evict thousands of tenants. Smells like a case of hypocrisy?
Dont all get too excited, we may have a GE as soon as May if rates start dropping, if not November. This will only stick if Mr Sunak wins, otherwise it will go in the bin instantly, and will likely provoke its removal rather quickly under a Labour government. The good news though is at least it hsa delayed ite removal by at least 6 months more likely 12, by which time the next CGT stats will be out and that could be enough to give any government the willies about reducing supply further. That is assuming they do understand that the RRF will reduce supply. Im not sure many politicians understand still.
Whooppee. This terminally moronic govt of sophistry and incompetence who have ruined lives with their destruction of the PRS, FINALLY sees the blindingly obvious and makes a slight concession. Given the uselessness of the courts WITH S21, the mind can only boggle at just how laughable they will become once it has gone. Hopefully - probably - it will take decades to sort them out, if at all, so S21 stays. And rightly so.
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