Tory landlord with 10 rental properties criticises plan to give tenants rights
Tory landlords have laid into sweeping housing reforms which would end no-fault evictions responsible for driving tens of thousands of tenants out of their homes.
The Government sparked anger when it caved into pressure from Conservative MPs and lobbyists and delayed scrapping controversial Section 21 evictions, to the delight of wealthy property owners. In a fraught debate in the Commons, Tories with extensive portfolios demanded the Government doesn't clamp down on landlords - despite promising to do so.
MPs were told of numerous cases where Section 21 orders - which allow renters to be removed with no explanation - have been used by landlords to drive out tenants so they can ramp up rates. Although the Tories vowed to abolish these in their 2019 manifesto, Housing Secretary Michael Gove made a last-minute change to his long-awaited Renters Reform Bill stating this would only come into action when court backlogs ease. This could push the ban back years.
Ministers were accused of reaching a "grubby deal" to appease backbenchers and landlords. According to the latest register of members' interests, 80 Conservative MPs rent out properties in the UK, including Cabinet members Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Gillian Keegan, Lucy Frazer and Alex Chalk.
Nick Fletcher, who rents out six houses and four flats in South Yorkshire, said: "The simple fact of the matter is that the more bureaucratic and difficult we make renting for landlords, the more incentive they have to sell up and reduce the number of properties on the market. The fewer properties there are for rent, scarcity means the rents will increase.
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"We should be helping landlords and tenants equally, not one over the other." He told Housing Secretary Michael Gove: "As Conservatives we understand the importance of sound economics to try not to interfere with the market, but I'm concerned the this Bill does just that."
Sir Desmond Swayne, who owns a flat and a house in London which he rents along with his wife, defended the controversial no-fault evictions. He said: "Many landlords for perfectly legitimate reasons for getting rid of tenants such as antisocial behaviour will have recourse to Section 21 simply because of the convenience and ease, particularly in the face of tenants who make particular difficulties will do that.
"That is why the provisions that he is making with respect to the courts being capable of dealing with these things effectively and efficiently is vital as part of the reform that he is bringing forward."
And Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who rents a farm in Norfolk and five London homes, said: "This bill will have a disastrous effect in areas like mine in reducing the number of rental properties and increasing the price of rent - for youngsters this is very serious."
Labour has accused ministers of betraying renters. Shadow Housing Secretary Angela Rayner branded it a "grubby deal" and said: "Having broken the justice system, they are now using their own failure to indefinitely delay keeping their promises to renters in the most underhand way.
"This comes at a heavy price for renters who have been let down for too long already. Tens of thousands more families who the Government promised to protect now face the prospect of being threatened with homelessness or kicked out of their homes by bailiffs."
In a letter sent to Tory MPs, Mr Gove said "implementation of the new system will not take place until we judge sufficient progress has been made to improve the courts".
Tory former minister Sir Edward Leigh claimed scrapping no-fault evictions wouldn't help renters. Sir Edward - who is not himself a landlord - told the Commons: "I know that many people in this House and rental reformers have argued in favour of getting rid of no-fault evictions to help give renters security. I believe the reality is the opposite.
"Banning no fault evictions will make the rental market even more stagnant and will lead to a further drying up of it. And I do urge the Government if this Bill becomes law... to have some sort of cooling off period so that over the next year more and more actual landlords do not actually just get out of this sector altogether."
But it has caused disquiet among some Conservatives. Natalie Elphicke, who co-chairs an all-party parliamentary group on renting, said the "landmark" reforms "should not be delayed on the basis that court improvements are required".
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Ms Elphcke, who does not herself rent properties, said: "Any change to the Bill that delays the implementation of these vital reforms cannot be supported. This is an issue that affects millions of people in our country. That's why renters reforms, specifically this abolition of section 21, was in the 2019 manifesto on which all of us on our side of this House stood.
"A manifesto that put Conservatives on the side of the people, a manifesto that secured such a huge majority. It would be a grave mistake not to honour that commitment or to stifle it by delay.
The delay to ending no-fault evictions was welcomed by National Residential Landlords Association chief executive Ben Beadle. He bragged the change had been made after "extensive campaigning" by his organisation.
He said: "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."
But Tom Darling, campaign manager at the Renters' Reform Coalition representing 20 charities, said the "absurd" move will have a "terrible human cost".
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