Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Whither the Tory Landlords?
Anybody who might be wondering why it is taking so long for the Westminister government to ban 'no-fault' evictions in England need look no further than this article in the Mirror.
The paper says that Tory landlords have laid into sweeping housing reforms which would end no-fault evictions responsible for driving tens of thousands of tenants out of their homes:
The Government sparked anger when it caved into pressure from Conservative MPs and lobbyists and delayed scrapping controversial Section 21 evictions, to the delight of wealthy property owners. In a fraught debate in the Commons, Tories with extensive portfolios demanded the Government doesn't clamp down on landlords - despite promising to do so.
MPs were told of numerous cases where Section 21 orders - which allow renters to be removed with no explanation - have been used by landlords to drive out tenants so they can ramp up rates. Although the Tories vowed to abolish these in their 2019 manifesto, Housing Secretary Michael Gove made a last-minute change to his long-awaited Renters Reform Bill stating this would only come into action when court backlogs ease. This could push the ban back years.
Ministers were accused of reaching a "grubby deal" to appease backbenchers and landlords. According to the latest register of members' interests, 80 Conservative MPs rent out properties in the UK, including Cabinet members Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Gillian Keegan, Lucy Frazer and Alex Chalk.
Nick Fletcher, who rents out six houses and four flats in South Yorkshire, said: "The simple fact of the matter is that the more bureaucratic and difficult we make renting for landlords, the more incentive they have to sell up and reduce the number of properties on the market. The fewer properties there are for rent, scarcity means the rents will increase.
"We should be helping landlords and tenants equally, not one over the other." He told Housing Secretary Michael Gove: "As Conservatives we understand the importance of sound economics to try not to interfere with the market, but I'm concerned the this Bill does just that."
If a councillor sought to influence policy in this way, in an area in which s/he had a financial interest, then they would be hauled before the Ombudsman for breach of the code of conduct. Why don't the same rules apply to MPs and other parliamentarians?
The paper says that Tory landlords have laid into sweeping housing reforms which would end no-fault evictions responsible for driving tens of thousands of tenants out of their homes:
The Government sparked anger when it caved into pressure from Conservative MPs and lobbyists and delayed scrapping controversial Section 21 evictions, to the delight of wealthy property owners. In a fraught debate in the Commons, Tories with extensive portfolios demanded the Government doesn't clamp down on landlords - despite promising to do so.
MPs were told of numerous cases where Section 21 orders - which allow renters to be removed with no explanation - have been used by landlords to drive out tenants so they can ramp up rates. Although the Tories vowed to abolish these in their 2019 manifesto, Housing Secretary Michael Gove made a last-minute change to his long-awaited Renters Reform Bill stating this would only come into action when court backlogs ease. This could push the ban back years.
Ministers were accused of reaching a "grubby deal" to appease backbenchers and landlords. According to the latest register of members' interests, 80 Conservative MPs rent out properties in the UK, including Cabinet members Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Gillian Keegan, Lucy Frazer and Alex Chalk.
Nick Fletcher, who rents out six houses and four flats in South Yorkshire, said: "The simple fact of the matter is that the more bureaucratic and difficult we make renting for landlords, the more incentive they have to sell up and reduce the number of properties on the market. The fewer properties there are for rent, scarcity means the rents will increase.
"We should be helping landlords and tenants equally, not one over the other." He told Housing Secretary Michael Gove: "As Conservatives we understand the importance of sound economics to try not to interfere with the market, but I'm concerned the this Bill does just that."
If a councillor sought to influence policy in this way, in an area in which s/he had a financial interest, then they would be hauled before the Ombudsman for breach of the code of conduct. Why don't the same rules apply to MPs and other parliamentarians?
