We have had direct correspondence from senior officials at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) regarding amends to be tabled on the Renters (Reform) Bill, including communication between Housing Minister Jacob Young, MP, and Conservative MPs outlining further improvements that address some of the key concerns of letting agents and strike a fairer balance of security for both landlords and tenants.

Introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 26 March 2024, the Bill sets out plans to make changes to the law, covering rent controls, tenants’ rights to keep pets and decorate their homes, and a mechanism to delay evictions under certain circumstances.

During a meeting with Housing Minister, Jacob Young MP, who has responsibility for the Renters (Reform) Bill, our CEO and Head of Policy and Campaigns outlined why the retaining of fixed-term tenancies will provide security for tenants and increase flexibility in the private rented sector.

Proposed changes to legislation in Northern Ireland would expand the definition of anti-social behaviour to include provisions around housing, putting it on a par with other parts of the UK. However, absolute grounds for possession are limited to the social rented sector, and the measures will not avoid the remaining difficulties with evicting troublesome tenants that are still seen in England and Wales.

A series of draft amendments from Conservative backbench MPs reflect fears that the Bill will cause landlords to sell up, reducing the number of rental properties available. The proposals include making it a legal requirement that an impact assessment on the courts must be published by the Justice Secretary before a ban on no-fault evictions could be implemented.

Proposals have been laid in the Scottish Parliament for the transition away from the rent cap and eviction moratorium under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, which ends on 31 March 2024. We acknowledge that provisions to prevent rents rising to a level that will cause hardship to some tenants are justified, however, the Scottish Government must provide more detail about how the transition measures will be applied.

Propertymark has responded to the House of Commons Justice Committee Inquiry seeking evidence on the work of County Courts, focusing on how the process works for disputes involving private rented sector (PRS) housing. We have called out unacceptable delays in access to justice, reiterated our call for dedicated housing courts and pushed for detail on plans for digitisation.

Propertymark has submitted written evidence to the Public Bill Committee on the Renters (Reform) Bill, citing data demonstrating the level of concern amongst our members about measures likely to make the PRS increasingly hostile to property owners and the unintended consequences for people in need of homes.

Extra policing will be deployed in ten initial target areas before the plan is rolled out across England and Wales in 2024. The public will also have a simpler way to report ASB (anti-social behaviour), and perpetrators could face penalties within 48 hours.

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (LUHCC) has objected to suggestions that delays to the ban on ‘no fault’ evictions are the result of recommendations made in the Committee’s Reforming the Private Rented Sector report. Committee Chair, Clive Betts, MP, stated it was difficult to understand the lack of urgency and transparency around court reforms.

Propertymark continues to assert there is no advantage to introducing rent controls and urges Scottish Ministers to properly evaluate the evidence both from UK and across the world. Whilst formulating our response to the most recent engagement questionnaire we hosted a roundtable with members and Scottish Government officials where the strength of feeling from agents was clearly communicated.

Today, 2 November 2023, the Opinion of the Hon Lord Harrower was released on Propertymark’s joint Judicial Review Petition, alongside the Scottish Association of Landlords and Scottish Land & Estates, that challenged the Scottish Government’s rent control and eviction ban under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

Rt Hon Michael Gove MP reiterated the tone of the UK Government’s response to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, published Friday 20 October, with repeated references to balancing the needs of tenants and landlords in the progress of the Renters (Reform) Bill through the UK parliament.

With the Renters (Reform) Bill receiving its Second Reading in the House of Commons today, 23 October 2023, the UK Government has responded to recommendations made by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (LUHCC), promising to align the removal of Section 21 with court improvements, protect the right of landlords to set rents in line with the market, and ensure the student market is protected with a new ground to guarantee landlords can gain possession each year.

Stakeholders have just a few weeks to add their voices to the discussion on Scottish Government plans to introduce a system of long-term rent controls for the private rented sector, strengthen tenant protections during the eviction process, enshrine the right to personalise a rented home, and make it easier for a tenant to request to keep a pet.