Key Facts

• Ground 8A allows landlords to seek possession if a tenant has three sets of rent arrears in three years.
• The current six-month protected period for grounds 1 and 1A is seen as too short, potentially allowing landlords to abuse the system by waiting three months before reletting.
• A potential fine for breaking the three-month period under ground 1A may be less than three months' rent in London.
• James Gray interrupts Simon Mullings at 14:01:00.
• He apologises for interrupting and asks for different viewpoints.
• The Committee has only 45 minutes left before being cut off.
• HLPA members have been campaigning on court reform since around 2015 or 2016.
• Section 21 is a key driver of homelessness and misery, particularly for families with children in schools.
• The timescales for various stages of possession and litigation are the same as they were in 2019.
• The abolition of section 21 is not expected to increase contested cases significantly.
• Duty solicitors at courts can provide necessary legal advice, either delaying or confirming possession orders based on merit.
• Legal aid access remains a concern for ensuring fair representation in court.
• Housing legal aid providers are diminishing each year.
• London is better served compared to other counties in terms of housing legal aid availability.
• Clause 18 and schedule 1 partly cover homelessness issues.
• The abolition of section 21 retains the definition of threatened with homelessness within 56 days but removes deeming provision for possession notices.
• James Gray is examining witness testimony regarding the Renters (Reform) Bill.
• Ben Leonard works as a senior remote organiser and policy and research officer at ACORN, a community and tenants’ union.
• Leonard argues that there is a massive imbalance of power between landlords and tenants leading to tenant insecurity.
• The property portal should be publicly available.
• Landlords should prove their intention to move into or sell the property before evicting tenants.
• There should be significant penalties and a no re-let period of 12 months for landlords abusing eviction grounds.
• The session was interrupted at 3 PM when Big Ben struck.
• Ben Leonard provided evidence regarding reforms in the private renting sector.
• The amendment aims to create ground 4A which specifically acknowledges term times for student accommodations.
• Different types of students rent in different ways, not all fit into term time categories.
• Universities could potentially rent out accommodation directly providing more accountability but this needs further consideration regarding the higher education model.
• The Government have tabled an amendment introducing a version of the decent homes standard.
• Local authorities are proposed to have a general duty in several areas under part 3 of the Renters (Reform) Bill.
• Linda Cobb explains that a property is deemed decent if it is free from category 1 hazards as defined by HHSRS.
• The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) has undergone a two-year review.
• Enforcement teams lack appropriately skilled and resourced multidisciplinary teams for effective implementation.
• Past regulations, such as electrical safety and smoke/carbon monoxide regulations, led to demand spikes due to inadequate supply and training.
• Research on PRS reform commenced in 2019 and is a five-year piece of research.
• Vulnerable tenants are at higher risk of harm from poorly functioning PRS compared to better-off peers.
• The Scotland equivalent of section 21 evictions was removed but some landlords continued to carry out revenge evictions by abusing new grounds on sales and moving in.
• An MOT check for accessing a portal is suggested but faces challenges in verification.
• 56% of local authorities reported vacancies in their teams.
• 87% of local authorities rely on agency staff to fill the gap.
• The MPs suggest working with universities and training providers for one-year private rented sector enforcement courses.
• James Munro introduced himself as head of the National Trading Standards estate and letting agency team.
• James Munro's team receives funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
• Matthew Pennycook asked about selective licensing of landlords and regulation of property agents.
• Enforcement of blanket bans on discriminatory practices in renting can be difficult.
• Local authorities face differences in enforcement priorities across the country.
• Rent repayment orders could relieve local authorities from minor case enforcement.
• The property portal aims to disseminate information but registration is required.
• Citizenship lessons and wider education initiatives are seen as beneficial for tenant awareness.
• James Gray thanked Mr Munro for providing evidence.
• The Committee will continue considering the Bill line by line starting from next week.