9:11 AM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago 48
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Shelter is urging the government to bring forward the Renters’ Reform Bill based on two survey samples of only 553 or 551 private renters, both possibly skewed by how the data is collected
Shelter go on to extrapolate in their press release:
New figures by YouGov released today show 39% of private renters, equivalent to 3.2m people, say they have been forced to live in dangerous or unhealthy conditions because they fear complaining to their landlord will trigger a retaliatory eviction.
And almost half (46%) of private renters, equivalent to 3.8m people, whose homes have needed repairs or improvements said they have not tried to resolve these owing to these fears.
Because private landlords can evict tenants by serving a section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notice, where they don’t have to give a reason, losing a private tenancy remains a leading cause of homelessness.
And while the coronavirus pandemic has made our homes more important than ever, 35% of private renters say their housing situation has made lockdowns harder to cope with. A fifth (21%) had suffered with damp, mould, condensation, poor insulation or excess cold in the past month alone.
In light of these worrying findings and ahead of the Queen’s Speech next month, housing charity Shelter is urging Boris Johnson to honour his pledge to deliver a Renters’ Reform Bill that transforms private renting. This should include abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions which would give renters the security they need to challenge poor conditions. And creating a National Landlord Register, which would force landlords to prove properties meet essential safety standards.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said:“Our broken renting system is overdue serious reform. For years, renters have paid through the nose for neglected properties, left powerless and paralysed by the fear that complaining about basic repairs could see them out on the streets.
“Over the past year, our homes have been our first line of defence against coronavirus. Yet this pandemic has exposed the grim reality that too many of the country’s 11 million renters – including key workers, families and the elderly – wake up every day to mould, pests and dangerous hazards.
“The Renters’ Reform Bill offers us a once-in-a generation opportunity to transform private renting and create a fairer safer system for all renters – we must seize it with both hands.”
Between March 2020 and March 2021, Shelter has seen a 35% increase amongst private renters who are contacting the charity’s helpline and web chat services for advice about poor conditions.
All survey results are based on a survey of 3,588 people in England (553 currently private renting), online, weighted, 18+, 7th-9th April 2021 or on a YouGov survey of 3,603 people in England (551 currently private renting), online, weighted, 18+, 28th Jan – 1st Feb 2021. Numbers of people are estimates calculated by Shelter using the survey results in conjunction with official statistics on population sizes. Shelter estimates there to be 8.2 million adult private renters in England, using analysis of published English Housing Survey (MHCLG) figures for 2019/20 and raw data from the same survey dated 2018/19.
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Sign Up19:20 PM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Lots of great comments. 🙂
The problem with Shelter is, if we were taking their dodgy stats at face value, they are making unbalanced statements.
They state a perceived problem and resolution, but ignoring the costs.
Say average properties are of quality X for tenant A,B and C at price Z.
Shelter say :
Property must be quality (X+1) for A,B and C and assumption here is still at price Z.
But if property is as a result of Shelters ideas are higher quality, it will then let for a higher amount. If the tenant could have afforded the better property, they would already have moved to a better one in the neighbourhood.
Maybe tenants have chosen not to spend more on a property.
So tenant C, who was able to find a property before, finds it really hard to find a property now. Shelter are not explaining the costs and risks of of the policies they advocate.
They are a bit like the Harry Enfield character, that use to say "you don't want to to that, you want to do this" Before the advice backfired spectacularly.
DALE ROBERTS
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Sign Up19:47 PM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Whiteskifreak Surrey at 20/04/2021 - 11:25
My hero 🙂
DALE ROBERTS
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Sign Up19:49 PM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Darren Peters at 20/04/2021 - 10:24
Or the social housing death trap Grenfell.
DALE ROBERTS
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Sign Up19:51 PM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by John Dace at 20/04/2021 - 11:47
Another hero on this forum 🙂
Chris @ Possession Friend
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Sign Up20:14 PM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DGM at 20/04/2021 - 12:09
The ' Answer ' is for ALL the regional landlord Associations, in fact, the members of the Fair Possession Coalition, including ARLA etc and form One big Coalition of PRS interests.
A little like what tenants are doing with the Renting Coalition. The NRLA could join it and participate, sharing in committee decisions, or sit outside of Every other landlord body.
terry sullivan
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Sign Up20:19 PM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DALE ROBERTS at 20/04/2021 - 19:49
bomb
Landlord Phil
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Sign Up10:17 AM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
I'll give up s21 gladly if we get some badly needed reforms to landlord rights. It would also help, as part of the balance, for shelter to be abolished. If not, they will find another way to justify their existence & protect their salaries. But that's not going to happen while they exist as a government funded lobbying organisation is it? I've always said it & I'll say it again, the uk doesn't need shelter, it needs an appropriately funded housing court. If the cash that went to pay shelter salaries was diverted into funding a housing court, job done. I've yet to be given figures that show how many homeless people shelter have actually housed in the last year. As far as I can tell its zero. Someone prove me wrong please.
Bill
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Sign Up10:31 AM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Well done Shelter. Just sold 2 flats to 1st time buyers. That is 2 less for the rental market.
Karen
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Sign Up10:34 AM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Landlord Phil at 24/04/2021 - 10:17
Why should you give up Section 21? There are multiple reasons why you may want to give a tenant notice. Nobody does it for no reason, as you would have void periods, refurbishment costs etc.
There needs to be a level playing field between the PRS and the tenants. They soon move out if they can find a similar property for less, so all this talk about unhealthy properties in the PRS is a sham.
Landlord Phil
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Sign Up11:01 AM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Karen at 24/04/2021 - 10:34
Of course it is, it's a tactic that Shelter use to justify the £20m a year they get from gov. I don't want to give up s21, but if it means I can kick out at tenant the day after a 1st court hearing, when they won't pay rent, its a price I'm willing to pay. Section 8, section 21 doesn't matter which you use. They both take months to gain actual possession. That needs fixing now.