Letting agents urged to contact MPs over Bill

Letting agents urged to contact MPs over Bill

0:01 AM, 13th July 2023, About A year ago 3

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Lettings agents are being urged to contact their MPs over the Renters (Reform) Bill since it appears that the upcoming Parliamentary recess means there is no time to debate it until the autumn.

The call is being made by payment platform PayProp after fears that some issues that aren’t in the current Bill will be added as amendments.

They include outlawing discrimination against tenants on benefits and those with children and extending the Decent Home Standard to the private rented sector.

However, concern is growing in the PRS that there will not be proper Parliamentary scrutiny of these amendments.

‘Gives agents the summer to get organised’

PayProp’s managing director, Neil Cobbold, said: “A lot of the important details are still up in the air and with the Bill not getting its second reading until at least September, this gives agents the summer to get organised and share their views with their MPs.”

He adds: “We’ve already seen the government make changes based on feedback from the industry, so the more voices we have, the better the chance lettings professionals will be consulted on this bill and future changes to the industry.”

However, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (DLUHC) has questioned Housing Minister Rachel Maclean and her team on the details of the Bill.

There has been some movement on the Bill

Mr Cobbold says there has been some movement on the Bill such as a tenant challenging a Section 13 rent increase in court would have it decreased or be ordered to pay the new rent.

Now tenants face the prospect of the court putting the rent up – which would help reduce court case numbers and put off spurious challenges.

The DLUHC team gave details on the proposed Ombudsman which would operate as a non-profit and it could yet be a combined agent/tenant/landlord redress scheme.

PayProp is now urging agents to take part in a survey with the results being presented to MPs and the government.


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Julius Caesar

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11:32 AM, 13th July 2023, About A year ago

This chap doesn’t have landlord interests at heart, so best to take anything he says with a pinch of salt - his company makes money from processing rental payments. Nothing wrong with that of course, but he’s not a spokesperson for people with ‘skin in the game’ (see his recent article on the proposed statutory changes being ‘an opportunity’ for landlords).

Judith Wordsworth

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11:57 AM, 13th July 2023, About A year ago

The Bill goes through 12 readings (HoC, various committee stages, HoL) before getting Royal Assent AND at every stage the Bill can be amended or added to with these having to be discussed/agreed/ and finalised before going for Royal Assent.

Current thoughts it's going to take 12-18 months for enactment.

Why haven't landlords been contacting their MP before now. Should have done that at the publication of the Bill, and many of us did!

Peter

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18:02 PM, 14th July 2023, About A year ago

Anything the Bill brings in the way of addition costs to Landlords will ultimately result in either Tenants paying more OR many Landlords selling up and so fewer rental properties means Tenants paying more. The only ones to benefit will be the Gov as they will be able to target Landlords who have evaded tax and Local Authorities who will charge for a Registration Scheme.
Either way, the Tenants will be the losers. Personally I agree that both Rogue Landlords and Rogue Tenants need to be dealt with but this Bill is not the way forward.

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