Recently, the UK Government introduced once-in-a-generation rental reforms, empowering renters to challenge rogue landlords and enabling landlords to take action on anti-social behaviour.
No renter in Great Yarmouth should be forced to live in damp, unsafe homes, powerless to put things right – and with the threat of sudden eviction hanging over them.
That is why the Government are delivering on their manifesto commitment to abolish ‘no fault’ evictions, ensuring renters can challenge poor standards without fear of being evicted or forced to pay exorbitant rent increases.
Very importantly, tenants will also be given the legal right to request a pet in their home, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. Landlords will be able to require pet insurance to cover any damage to their property.
To strike the right balance, the Government are also supporting the vast majority of decent landlords by making it easier for them to recover properties when they need to – so they can sell their property if they want to, move in a close family member, or when tenants wilfully do not pay rent. Notice periods will also be reduced where tenants have been irresponsible – for example breaching their tenancy agreement or causing damage to the property.
The government will also bring forward legislation as part of the Bill to:
- Apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time, giving renters safer, higher quality homes and remove the blight of poor-quality homes in local communities. This will help deliver the government’s Levelling Up mission to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030.
- Make it illegal for landlords and agents to have blanket bans on renting to tenants in receipt of benefits or with children – ensuring no family is unjustly discriminated against when looking for a place to live.
- Strengthen councils’ enforcement powers and introduce a new requirement for councils to report on enforcement activity – to help target criminal landlords.
It is important to make sure the landlord-tenant relationship works better for everyone and deliver decent, safe, and secure homes for families in Great Yarmouth and across England.
