Everyone should feel secure and comfortable in the place they call home. But this can be a real challenge for the one third of Hackney residents who live in privately rented accommodation.
High costs, unexpected no-fault evictions, and unclear responsibilities for tenants and landlords can often lead to high stress and high anxiety situations for too many in Hackney. Add to this the loophole where landlords can demand multiple months of rent upfront to secure a property (which in Hackney, due to the high levels of rent, can be eye-watering sums of money), and many are left in an impossible situation.
But the Labour Government is stepping up and directly tackling these issues head-on through its new Renters’ Rights Bill. New provisions will mean landlords can only require a maximum of one month’s rent in advance. Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions - where tenants can be asked to leave without a provided reason – will be abolished. And there’s good news for animal-lovers: there will be a new right for tenants to house a pet that landlords cannot reasonably refuse.
There’s also the serious issue of unchecked, unsound properties being let out because desperate renters have nowhere else to go. Social housing already benefits from having minimum safety standards enshrined in law. But once this Bill becomes law, the private rental sector will also be bound by the Decent Homes Standard – a minimum standard for the condition of homes. It will also apply ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the sector - setting clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords must take action to make homes safe where they contain serious hazards.
It will give renters safer, better, more secure homes.
The Bill is also good news for responsible landlords – it will make tenancy agreements more straightforward for everyone by creating a Private Rented Sector Database. This will help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance whilst also helping tenants to make informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement.
The Labour Government is wasting no time in delivering and driving up standards for Hackney’s private renters. This is part of a broader package of measures that will see radical reform to the housing sector, so everyone – not just renters - can have a safe and secure roof over their heads.