The British Property Federation has welcomed proposed measures to make the private rental sector fairer for tenants but it says the industry will still want more detail on the long-awaited consultation.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove’s Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper includes measures to ban section 21 notices, which landlords can currently use to kick out tenants without providing a reason. The white paper also proposes banning landlords from imposing arbitrary rent reviews or blocking families with children or benefits recipients from renting their properties.
BPF director of policy Ian Fletcher said the efforts were “very much welcome”, adding: “Good landlords know that reform can be win-win, protecting and enhancing renters’ rights but also encouraging residents to feel at home, increasing the time they stay and ultimately benefitting tenants and investors.”
However, the organisation called for more clarity on the potential for court reform, greater discussion over policy on rents, and more detail on powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Fletcher (pictured) acknowledged that there will still be issues that need to be resolved in court. He said: “It is vital the government delivers on its digitalisation of the courts’ agenda ahead of these reforms to ensure a swift resolution to these cases. Investors will feel let down if that is not the case.”
The BPF described the build-to-rent sector as often being “ahead of policy”, and noted that access to redress, clarity on rents and pet-friendly policies – all measures included in the white paper – are already common in the sector.
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