The Renters Reform Bill is doomed to fail unless local authorities are given more money to carry it out, MPs have warned.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Private Rented Sector has published a report on the Bill, which is set to abolish Section 21 evictions and introduce a decent homes standard.
The group expressed concerns that renters and responsible landlords will likely struggle to defend their rights in the courts when section 21, ‘no fault’ evictions are scrapped.
Meanwhile it’s thought local authorities will struggle to enforce planned changes without a significant boost to their resources.
Andrew Lewer, chair of the APPG for the private rented sector, said: “It is vital that the Bill provides security to tenants, gives confidence to responsible landlords and roots out rogue and criminal landlords providing sub-standard housing.
“However, none of this will be possible without robust enforcement of the powers being proposed.
“The government needs to provide substantial multi-year funding to ensure councils have the resources they need to enforce the planned decent homes standard and ensure all rented homes are safe and secure.
“Likewise, tenants and landlords need to be confident that they will be able to enforce their rights in court in a timely and effective way when section 21 ends.
“It is simply unacceptable that ministers have provided scant detail about what improvements to the justice system will look like and when they will happen.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The government must prioritise enforcement of regulations to stamp out illegal activity.”
And Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said there’s a need to “help local authorities to crack down on criminal behaviour”.