Bristol Green Councillors urge Government to end delays to Renters Reform Bill

Councillors from the Green Group on Bristol City Council have written to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, voicing their concerns about delays to the Renters (Reform) Bill and recent concessions to backbench MPS. They have also suggested an amendment to the bill to reduce the number of people claiming homelessness duties. (1)

The intervention follows stark warnings that the rising cost of homelessness, which councils bear through a duty to provide temporary accommodation, is leading some local authorities to effective bankruptcy and could spell “the end of local government”.(2) In 2023/24 councils in England are expected to spend £2 billion on temporary accommodation. (3)

The end of private tenancies is a major cause of homelessness. Official statistics released last month, which highlighted significant increases in rough sleeping, showed that a quarter of eligible claims for homelessness support were due to the end of an assured shorthold (private rented) tenancy. (4) The biggest cause of homelessness claims for private renters was eviction due to landlords wishing to sell the property,(5) which made up 40% of all eligible claims. Eviction for this reason will continue to be possible after the Renters (Reform) Bill has been passed.

The letter, which the Renters’ Reform Coalition helped to coordinate,(6) calls on the Housing Secretary to “consider amending the legislation so that tenants have four months” notice if they are being evicted through no fault of their own in the new tenancy regime.” The proposal has the support of the Local Government Association. (7)

The Renters (Reform) Bill abolishes section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, but landlords will still be able to evict tenants by providing an approved reason, such as for family to move in or to sell the property. In these instances, the Bill retains the two-month notice period which many renters currently struggle with; research by Shelter found that over a third of tenants take longer than this to find a new home. (8)

By extending this to four months, Bristol Greens say renters will have “more security and time to find a new home which suits their needs”, which will “reduce the number of people claiming homelessness support following the end of a private tenancy, lessening the impact of evictions on local government finances.”

Cllr Lisa Stone, who put the letter together, said: “In Bristol, landlords have used section 21 to threaten tenants with eviction unless extortionate rent increases are agreed to.”

“They will continue to abuse this law to increase their income until the Renters (Reform) Bill is passed and no-fault evictions are finally abolished.”

“We urge the Secretary of State to do everything he can to make sure the bill is amended and put into force as soon as possible. We also ask him to make sure that following the Bill’s passing, section 21 evictions are abolished as soon as possible for new and existing tenancies.”

Cllr Carla Denyer, Co-Leader of the national Green Party, said: “It comes as a surprise to no-one to see the Government buckling to pressure from backbenchers to water down and delay this bill. Not least when almost a third of those backbenchers are landlords themselves.” (9)

“The Green Party is committed to ending no-fault evictions without delay and introducing rent controls where needed to tame the private rented sector. Renters are desperately underrepresented in parliament, and more Green MPs elected at the next election will make sure that their voices are heard.”

Sources:

1. Full letter here – https://bristolgreenparty.org.uk//wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Section-21-Letter-to-Gov-.pdf
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-68069729
3. https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/councils-spend-over-2bn-housing-homeless-families/#:~:text=Disclosures%20from%20around%20100%20councils,shy%20of%20%C2%A32.1bn.
4. Source: Government Statutory Homelessness data, Detailed local authority level tables: July to September 2023. There were 78,460 eligible claims for homelessness support (relief or prevention). 19,620 of these (25%) were due to the end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. Data is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statutory-homelessness-in-england-july-to-september-2023./
5. Source: Government Statutory Homelessness data, Detailed local authority level tables: July to September 2023. Of the 19,620 eligible claims for homelessness support (relief or prevention) due to the end of a private sector tenancy, the largest cause was listed as “Landlord wishing to sell or re-let the property”, with 8,010 claims made for this reason (40% of the total). Data is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statutory-homelessness-in-england-july-to-september-2023./
6. The Renters’ Reform Coalition is a campaign group which comprises 20 leading organisations supporting and representing private renters. It includes major homelessness and housing charities such as Shelter and Crisis, campaigners Generation Rent, as well as tenant union groups like ACORN. Find out more about the work of the Coalition here: https://www.rentersreformcoalition.co.uk/
7. See LGA briefing on amendments proposed at committee stage: https://www.local.gov.uk/parliament/briefings-and-responses/renters-reform-bill-committee-stage-amendments-house-commons-17#:~:text=We%20support%20this%20amendment%20as%20it%20gives%20tenants%20greater%20security%20in%20their%20property%20and%20greater%20notice%20to%20be%20able%20to%20find%20alternative%20arrangements%2C%20thereby%20reduce%20the%20risk%20of%20homelessness.
8. https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_release/tenants_over-55_hit_with_a_no-fault_eviction_notice_every_16_minutes_#:~:text=People%20who%20receive%20Section%2021,a%20new%20privately%20rented%20home.
9. Almost a third of Tory MPs trying to weaken tenant protection bill are landlords | Conservatives | The Guardian