Queen’s Speech 2021 – Landlord Reactions

My Government will help more people to own their own home whilst enhancing the rights of those who rent.

Laws to modernise the planning system, so that more homes can be built, will be brought forward, along with measures to end the practice of ground rents for new leasehold properties [Planning Bill, Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill].

My Ministers will establish in law a new Building Safety Regulator to ensure that the tragedies of the past are never repeated [Building Safety Bill].

In more detail the Renters’ Reforms

“My Government will help more people to own their own home whilst enhancing the rights of those who rent.”

The Government is committed to building back fairer and having a Better Deal for Renters in England. Later this year we will: publish our consultation response on reforming tenancy law to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and improve security for tenants in the private rented sector, as well as strengthening repossession grounds for landlords when they have valid cause.

Outline proposals for a new ‘lifetime’ tenancy deposit model that eases the burden on tenants when moving from one tenancy to the next, helping improve the experience of those living in the private rental sector.

Bring forward reforms to drive improvements in standards in rented accommodation, including by ensuring all tenants have a right to redress, and ensuring well targeted, effective enforcement that drives out criminal landlords, for example exploring the merits of a landlord register. We will publish a White Paper detailing this reform package in the autumn, and legislation will follow in due course.

There will be extensive stakeholder engagement working with the sector to inform and shape reforms. This will ensure the reforms deliver a private rented sector that works for both tenants and landlords, while also learning from the pandemic and its impact on the sector.

This reform package is also expected to require all private landlords to belong to a redress scheme, to drive up standards in the private rented sector and ensure that all tenants have a right to redress.

Consider further reforms of the private renter sector enforcement system so it is well-targeted, effective and supports improvements in property conditions. This will include a set of measures to hold bad landlords to account for delivering safe and decent housing to tenants without penalising good landlords.

Explore improvements and possible efficiencies to the possession process in the courts, to make it quicker and easier for landlords and tenants to use.

We will continue to deliver on the Social Housing White Paper proposals, including implementing the Charter for Social Housing Residents, delivering transformational change for social renters. We will also continue to develop reform of social housing regulations and look to legislate as soon as practicable. These reforms will drive social landlords’ compliance with improved consumer standards and place social renters’ interests at the heart of the regulatory system. We have already launched a review of the Decent Homes Standard, a working group on electrical safety, and held a consultation on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, three key aspects of our commitment to ensure safe and decent homes, as well as running a national campaign to raise awareness of how to seek redress.

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