Leading renting and housing organisations have today backed a letter calling on political party leaders to commit to stronger renters’ rights policies.
The letter, signed by 27 organisations including Shelter, Generation Rent, the Chartered Institute for Housing, and the tenant’s union ACORN, calls the failure of the last parliament to deliver manifesto commitments on renters’ rights “a huge disappointment”, adding that “renters cannot afford more policy failures.”
It also sets out a number of demands for urgent action to address England’s renting crisis.
These include immediate reform of private tenancies that abolishes no-fault evictions in full, including through rent rises and new no-fault possession grounds; a detailed national register of private landlords; a plan to increase energy efficiency standards for private rented homes to EPC C as soon as possible; more funding for council enforcement to minimise landlords abusing existing and new laws, and to stamp out illegal evictions; as well as increased legal aid funding so that all renters are able to access timely legal advice.
The intevention comes after the Liberal Democrats launched their manifesto on Monday 10 June, committing to end no fault evictions and establish three year tenancies as the default rental contract.
The Conservative, Green and Labour manifestos are expected to be released over the course of this week, confirming their policy offer to private renters.
Ministry of Justice statistics released last month showed that nearly 100,000 section 21 no-fault evictions have been taken through the courts since the government promised to abolish the practice in 2019.
Last year councils in England recorded the highest ever number of households threatened with homelessness following a section 21 notice, at 25,910 and council leaders have warned of the ‘end of local government’ as councils face bankruptcy due to rising homelessness costs.
Housing consistently ranks as a top election issue among voters and housing affordability is a major component of the leading issue – cost of living.
Ben Twomey, Generation Rent chief executive, said: “Too often politicians focus only on home ownership – but there are 12 million renters in England.
“We must be able to feel secure in our own homes too. This would mean proper protections from evictions when we have done nothing wrong, and limits on unaffordable rent rises so we can’t be turfed on to the streets at a landlord’s whim.
“The next government must act quickly and decisively to fix our broken renting system before countless more renters face homelessness, poverty and exploitation.”
Anny Cullum, ACORN political officer, added: “Renters have been waiting for five years for the change they need and deserve; an end to no fault evictions, improved standards and proper enforcement, the ability to make their house a home without fear of losing the roof over their head for no reason.
“The next government must make the changes renters need, lifting the burden of insecurity and poor standards from 11 million tenants in England.”
