Green Party manifesto vows to end no-fault evictions

The Green Party claims “renters are having their lives turned upside down by the whim of their landlords”.

The Green Party manifesto dubbed “our fair deal for renters” says the party will abolish no-fault evictions to help “tenants stay in a secure home.”

Other policies include building 150,000 new social homes every year and introducing rent controls.

Unaffordable rents and constant insecurity

The Green Party claims rent controls will help to solve the housing crisis.

The manifesto says: “Millions of private renters face unaffordable rents and constant insecurity. Green MPs will push for rent controls so local authorities can control rents if the rental market is unaffordable for many local people.”

The party says millions of renters are also experiencing uncertainty due to the actions of landlords.

The Greens say: “We will introduce a new stable rental tenancy and an end to no-fault evictions so tenants are secure in their homes and don’t have their lives turned upside down on the whim of their landlords.”

Another policy includes introducing residential tenancy boards which the Greens say will provide an informal, cheap and speedy forum for resolving disputes before they reach a tribunal.

Easing the pressure on our wallets

Generation Rent welcomed the manifesto pledges by the Green party, highlighting that rent controls would provide relief to tenants facing skyrocketing rents.

Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “The Green Party are right to put an offer to renters at the centre of their manifesto. We welcome their commitment to ending no-fault evictions and their recognition of the devastating impact they can have.

“Powers for councils to control rents will be an important mechanism to slam the brakes on the wild rent rises that tenants are facing, keeping us in our homes and easing the pressure on our wallets.

“We hope the party will set out more details about how far councils could intervene.”

Tenants more at risk of fuel poverty

Other manifesto pledges include a tenant’s right to demand energy efficiency improvements and more investment in green energy.

The manifesto claims: “Elected Greens will push for a local-authority-led, street-by-street retrofit programme to insulate our homes, provide clean heat and start to adapt our buildings to more extreme climate conditions.

“This would mean investment of £29bn over the next five years to insulate homes to an EPC B standard or above as part of a ten-year programme.

“We also plan to invest £4bn over the next five years to insulate other buildings to a high standard and £9bn over the next five years for low-carbon heating systems (e.g. heat pumps) for homes and other buildings.”

Mr Craw adds tenants are at more risk of fuel poverty than homeowners.

He said: “Private renters are at a higher risk of fuel poverty than other tenures, so we are pleased to see the Greens’ ambition on driving up energy efficiency in private rented homes. Funding for insulation is essential, but they also recognise the need for renters to have a right to ask for this.”

150,000 new social homes every year

The manifesto claims the Green Party will provide 150,000 new social homes every year through a combination of new construction and the purchase or refurbishment of older housing stock.

Other promises include giving local authorities the power to buy properties for the community in different categories and putting an end to the individual ‘right to buy’ scheme.

Generation Rent argues whilst the plans are positive the devil will be in the detail.

Mr Craw adds: “The goal of 150,000 new social homes per year is positive, but aside from a brief mention of new build, it is not clear how many new homes would be built under Green plans to make sure there are enough homes in areas people want to live.”

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