Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, welcomes the Renters (Reform) Bill which was introduced into Parliament on 17th May. Maria will be following the legislation closely to ensure it does indeed provide the strong protections renters need.
Maria said, ‘this Bill provides a great opportunity to strengthen the private rental sector across the country, and the proposed new laws will have tangible benefits for the 8,400 households privately renting in Basingstoke. Renting provides useful flexibility and for many it is a first step towards home ownership – so it is right that we strengthen the sector to be fairer and clearer for renters.
‘Just like across the rest of the country, more young people in Basingstoke are renting than in previous generations due to rising house prices, which is why it is so important that we have laws to protect them. Abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions will make sure young people feel more secure in their homes for the long term, allowing them to put down roots in our community.
‘Strong rental protections will also support women and single parent households who more frequently rent, allowing single parents to be confident they can stay in their homes near their children’s schools without short-notice moves.’
37% of households in Basingstoke rent rather than own, and 17% of households rent privately.
The Renters (Reform) Bill will:
- Abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions – providing more security for tenants and giving them the confidence to challenge poor practice and unfair rent increases without fear of eviction;
- Introduce more comprehensive possession grounds so landlords can still recover their property and to make it easier to repossess properties where tenants are at fault, for example in cases of anti-social behaviour and repeat rent arrears;
- Provide stronger protections to allow tenants to appeal excessively above-market rents which are purely designed to force them out;
- Introduce a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman to provide fair, impartial, and binding resolutions to many issues and prove quicker, cheaper, and less adversarial than the court system;
- Create a Privately Rented Property Portal to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance; and
- Give tenants the right to request a pet in the property, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.
The Decent Homes Standard, which currently applies to social housing, will also be applied to the private sector under this Bill. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Housing Standards Team already provide some support and carry out investigations into poor housing conditions, but enforcement action by the Council will be made easier through the Private Rented Property Portal, pinpointing when and where action is needed.