Fixing ‘no-fault’ evictions won’t make renters safer, government warned – LandlordZONE

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The removal of Section 21 might not provide the hoped-for sense of security and encourage tenants to complain when rental housing is in short supply, a housing charity warns.

The TDS charity’s survey of 2,000 private tenants found that a lack of affordable accommodation influenced tenants’ willingness to escalate complaints and request energy efficiency upgrades.

Your report – Living in the PRS in 2023 – explains: “There is a risk that even with the removal of Section 21, tenants will be reluctant to file complaints and the new landlord ombudsman will receive a low number of complaints.

“Therefore, we invite the government to think more broadly about the range of factors that influence feelings of security and to avoid assuming that the tenancy law is the main or only driver of tenant behaviour.”

Most leases are terminated by the tenant rather than by the landlord, according to the charity, and only 12% of tenants who moved in the last 12 months did so because the landlord asked them to leave.

changing needs

Changes in the rental industry are largely related to changing occupant needs or preferences, such as a desire for a larger or smaller home, or for work-related reasons.

Read more: Will Section 8 be enough when Section 21 evictions go?

The results reveal that while many tenants believe their property’s energy efficiency could be improved, they are reluctant to do so if the landlord increases the rent (38%) or asks them to leave (25%). However, 39% had requested enhancements, and of these, 74% were happy or somewhat happy with the response.

Some of those who moved in the last six months encountered problems that the Tenant Law (Reform) intended to address, such as reporting that the landlord/rental agent was unwilling to rent to them because of their race, gender, or other personal characteristics (9%), or did not want to rent to renters with children (12%), or renters on benefits (5%).

Read the report in full.