This week Parliament debated Labour’s proposed reforms to renting.
These reforms could be a lifeline for so many in our town. According to recent census data, 24.7% of people in Cheltenham are renting privately, which is higher than the UK average.
Renting in Cheltenham, and across the country, has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Long waits for social housing mean that private renting is the only option for many. However, this is fraught with problems, from rising rents to difficulties finding housing, particularly for those on low incomes, or who have pets. There are many great landlords, (I have been lucky enough to rent from some of them), but it remains that the private rented sector currently provides the least affordable, poorest quality and most insecure housing of all tenures.
That is why I am so pleased that we now have a Government which is acting on its commitment to look at significant reforms to provide greater rental stability; this is good for both renters and landlords.
The reforms under consideration include abolishing Section 21 evictions (often described as ‘no-fault’ evictions); new safeguards for tenants, giving them more time to find a home if landlords evict to move in or sell the rented property; and stronger protections against backdoor eviction.
The Government’s proposed legislation will also make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against prospective tenants in receipt of benefits or who have children, and will apply ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private rental sector, setting clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords must take action to make homes safe.
It will also give tenants strengthened rights to request permission to keep a pet in a property, and will end the practice of rental bidding by stopping landlords from accepting offers above the advertised rent.
Having previously rented in both the UK and in Belgium, I have seen how other countries across Europe have a greater understanding of how integral renting is to the housing market. With this understanding comes correspondingly greater rights and responsibilities for both tenants and landlords.
In our country the dream of home ownership is elevated in the public discourse, but too many of my generation are struggling to get anywhere close to owning their own home, a problem exacerbated by 14 years of Conservative housing policy.
It is time that we had a realistic approach to renting which recognises how vital both social renting and private renting is in providing so many of us with a home, and the security that brings. The Labour government’s proposals do just that.
Isobel Laing, Women’s Officer, Cheltenham Labour Party