Housing chief slams ‘betrayal’ of renters
HE ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT OF ABANDONING ITS PLEDGE TO PUT END TO NO-FAULT EVICTIONS
CALDERDALE Labour politicians have accused the Conservative Government of ‘a staggering betrayal’ of renters in the borough by indefinitely delaying an end to ‘no-fault’ evictions.
Housing Minister Michael Gove defended changes the Government has made to its Renters (Reform) Bill on Thursday and said he would continue to argue for an end to no-fault evictions.
No-fault evictions are where a landlord can evict a tenant using Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to end an assured shorthold tenancy with two months’ warning, without having to prove any fault on the part of the tenant.
But Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member with the Housing portfolio, Coun Scott Patient, reacted angrily to what he alleges is the Conservatives abandoning their pledge to end nofault evictions.
Coun Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said this left Calderdale’s 18,800 private renters without protection they were promised.
“It’s now over five years since the Tories promised to scrap Section 21 nofault evictions - yet thousands of renters across Calderdale are still without protection, still vulnerable to eviction at any moment.
“This is a staggering betrayal of Calderdale’s renters,” he said.
Coun Patient accused the Conservatives of failing to stand up to vested interests which were blocking reform.
“That leaves local renters with the threat of having their lives thrown upside down through no-fault evictions.
“Many of our councillors will regularly be hearing distressing stories of families and individuals who are desperately struggling to find new homes due to the instability caused by this failure,” he said.
Coun Patient said Labour’s Renters’ Charter ‘would give renters the certainty and protection they need.’
He said analysis from Calderdale Labour, based on figures published by the Ministry of Justice, revealed at least 173 local families who have faced proceedings to eject them from their home in the years since the Conservatives promised to ban the practice in April 2019.
Mr Gove defended changes the Government had made to proposed legislation going through Parliament and said it was ‘a balanced package.’
Speaking to media, he said it would ensure ‘a healthy private rented sector with appropriate protection for tenants but also appropriate rights for landlords as well.’
Under the bill, landlords would be able to evict tenants in England only under certain circumstances, including when they wished to sell the property or when they or a close family member wanted to move in.
A number of campaign groups have criticised the changes the government has made to the bill.