With the Renters’ Reform Bill back on the government’s agenda, Sean Hooker, head of redress at the Property Redress Scheme, will discuss the latest proposals and answer letting agents’ questions on the bill in a live Q&A hosted by Goodlord next week.
Scrapping section 21 and strengthening section 8 remain core to the government’s proposals but other priorities have shifted since the bill was first announced in 2019.
Recent announcements have included extending the Decent Homes Standard to cover the private rented sector and introducing landlord redress via the establishment of a Private Renters’ Ombudsman.
The government has also mooted the creation of a “property portal” that will “help landlords understand their obligations, give tenants performance information to hold their landlord to account, and help councils crackdown on poor practice”.
Meanwhile, lifetime deposits, which have been a mainstay of previous proposals, appear to have fallen off the agenda entirely.
The government is due to set out its proposals in more detail this spring in its long-delayed white paper.
Sean Hooker, head of redress at the Property Redress Scheme, commented: “Now we have a firm commitment to action, we can get on with the task of making these reforms work. The indications are that the Government has listened to the sector and whilst not everything will be welcomed by agents and landlords, or indeed tenants, this agenda looks realistic and achievable. I am looking forward to picking over the bones of the proposals and what I believe they will mean for raising standards in the private rental sector. The good, the bad and the ugly.”
Oli Sherlock, director of insurance at Goodlord, added: “The private rented sector has been waiting too long for clarity on the Renters’ Reform Bill. The latest announcements from the government indicate that these long-anticipated reforms are increasingly likely to become a reality, which means that the industry should prepare for major upheavals, such as the abolition of section 21. We hope we can shed some light on the latest proposals and what they will mean for letting agents and their landlords and tenants.”
Letting agents can register for the free webinar, taking place on Tuesday 24 May at 10am, by clicking here.