Tenant Fees Act 2019

After the first news concerning the section 21 evictions being abolished, the Prime Minister Theresa May gave a speech today at the Housing 2019 conference. 

The Prime Minister stated:

“We are re-balancing the relationship between tenant and landlord, making major changes that will make an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of millions of families.

In the private sector we’ve already capped the size of rent deposits and abolished letting fees, cutting the amount tenants have to find upfront and making it harder for landlords and agents to take advantage of desperate house hunters.

Now we’re going further…because if you rent a property it will not be your house, but it is still your home. 

And to me that means that if you pay your rent, play by the by the rules and keep the house in good order your landlord should not be allowed to throw you out on a whim. It is simply not fair. 

So we’re bringing to an end the practice of the so called no-fault evictions. Repealing the section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act.

A consultation on the changes will be published shortly, with a view to introducing legislation later this year.”

The Government will now shortly launch a consultation as to the proposed repeal of section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 in which landlords may have the opportunity to give their views to the Government on this major proposed change. 

The repeal of section 21 would mean that landlords would only be able to rely on the Grounds for repossess their property set out in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 which is commonly known as the section 8 eviction procedure. 

Mr Sasha Charles of Landlord Advice UK stated: 

“It would be draconian legislation, to repeal section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Landlords have already lost security to let out property in the private sector following much of the legislation which has been enacted over the pas 4 years which has brought more red tape for landlords. Landlords need security to let property and that security is by knowing that if they needed possession of the property, they could obtain possession even if the tenant was not in breach of the terms of their tenancy.

Landlords are paying the price for the Governments failure to address the real cause of evictions in the private sector, which is rent arrears. The current legislation may need to be assessed and reformed, however repealing the section 21 ground for possession is not only a step further in the words of the Prime Minister, but rather perhaps, a step too far.”

We will publish further details on the Governments consultation for the repeal of the section 21 evictions when it is launched.