Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act

Last week the Renters Rights Act became law.

This legislation resets and improves the rights of those living in rented accommodation and I am incredibly proud that the Labour government has delivered on this election pledge.

The majority of landlords are decent and responsible and take the welfare of their tenants seriously.

The problem is the system prior to this Act relied too heavily on your landlord being these things. If they weren’t, there was very little protection for tenants which led to unnecessary stress and insecurity for too many.

We must always remember that for many, rented accommodation is a long-term and/or permanent home, not a temporary fix.

Before I was elected to Parliament, I was a councillor in the Ruscote ward on Banbury Town and Cherwell District Councils.

I remember vividly conversations with a resident of that ward on The Fairway who told me that they had been served a two month notice to move out after reporting a leaky roof.

This was allowed under what are known as “no-fault evictions”. Being evicted from your home for reporting a problem was and is unfair on tenants, and the Renters’ Rights Act has now banned this type of eviction.

The Act doesn’t ban evictions and landlords can still evict tenants, but they must have good and fair reasons.

As the owner of three cats, I also know that pets are part of the family. As a councillor and as someone who worked in the social housing sector, I found it heartbreaking to encounter someone in need of a home who was asked to choose between a place to live and their furry companion.

The Act now means that landlords must consider requests to keep pets fairly.

The Act bans bidding wars for rental properties where offers for more than the original asking price are encouraged and accepted after someone has already agreed terms.

And the law prevents landlords asking for more than one month’s deposit – for many the demand of six months deposit was simply unaffordable and kept them away from having a place they could call home.

These rights come with balances to ensure that decent landlords are not unfairly treated or penalised including a provision that they can require tenants to have pet insurance.

Housing was a priority for me at the last election and is something that the government is committed to tackling.

There is still more to do but this Act is a great start.

Named after Awaab Ishak a 2 year old boy who died in a Rochdale flat riddled with damp and mould, this has also passed to protect tenants in social housing.

This is government delivery in real life and I’m proud to be part of it.