Latest on Landlord Legislation

The UK Labour Party has proposed several changes to landlord legislation aimed at improving tenants' rights and addressing issues in the rental housing market. Here are some key points of the proposed legislation:

Abolition of Section 21 "No-Fault" Evictions

• Labour plans to permanently abolish Section 21, which allows landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason.
• This change would give tenants greater security and prevent abrupt or arbitrary eviction, making it harder for landlords to remove tenants without cause.

Rent Controls

• Labour has signaled an intention to introduce rent controls to limit excessive rent increases.
• These could include caps on rent rises tied to inflation, preventing landlords from raising rents significantly within short periods.

National Register of Landlords

• Labour proposes creating a national register of landlords to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
• This register would track rogue landlords and ensure they comply with property standards and regulations.

Property Standards & Licensing

• Stricter standards for rental properties are on the agenda, including the expansion of selective licensing schemes.
• Landlords may be required to meet higher safety and quality standards for their properties, particularly concerning energy efficiency and living conditions.

Stronger Enforcement of Housing Standards

• Labour is committed to empowering local authorities to enforce housing standards more rigorously.
• This could mean higher fines for non-compliance and more resources for councils to inspect rental properties and address issues like disrepair or overcrowding.

Tenant's Right to Make Improvements

• Tenants may be given the right to make reasonable improvements to properties without needing the landlord’s consent, especially for energy efficiency upgrades.

Longer Tenancies

• Labour supports encouraging or even mandating longer-term tenancies, potentially up to 3 years or more, to provide tenants with greater stability.

Banning of Upfront Fees

• Labour could ban or further regulate upfront fees for tenants, reducing the financial burden when renting a new property.

Tenant Purchase Rights

• One of the more ambitious proposals includes giving tenants the right to purchase their rented property from landlords at a fair price, similar to "Right to Buy" for social housing tenants.

These proposed changes are designed to shift the balance of power in the rental market more toward tenants, ensuring affordability, security, and better living conditions. However, some landlords argue that the changes could reduce investment in the private rental sector, potentially impacting housing supply.