A coalition of rental groups including Citizens Advice, Shelter and the Joseph Roundtree Foundation have accused the Renters (Reform) Bill of abolishing Section 21 “in name only” after amendments took place.
The bill received its second reading in parliament yesterday, while amendments included a review of the courts before Section 21 is abolished for existing tenancies.
In a lengthy statement, the Renters Reform Coalition expressed disappointment that ministers have met lobbyists for landlords and estate agents twice as often as groups representing renters.
They wrote: “Instead of engaging with us, the bill has been watered down again and again by the government, with several rounds of damaging concessions to backbench MPs that have fundamentally weakened it. The amendments tabled recently by the government are just the final straw.
“The result of all the government’s backtracking is that we now have a bill that abolishes Section 21 in name only – there is no guarantee it would ever fully abolish Section 21, and even then the new tenancy system set to replace it will be little better. This legislation is intended to give the impression of improving conditions for renters, but in fact it preserves the central power imbalance at the root of why renting in England is in crisis.”
Other amendments to the bill make it so tenants won’t be able to give two months’ notice leave until they have been in a property for at least four months, for fixed term tenancies.
Meanwhile student housing will be given a new ground for possession to ensure student landlords can retain the annual cycle of student tenants.
