Renters In PRS Denied Protection From Revenge Evictions

Just one in every 20 private renters who complains to the council about poor conditions in their home gets protection from a revenge eviction, according to Generation Rent analysis. Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act finds that councils in England are “failing” to use their powers to protect tenants. Reports reveal that even when a severe hazard – such as mould or broken stairs – is found in a rented home, tenants only get protection from eviction in one in every five cases. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/renters-in-private-sector-denied-protection-from-revenge-evictions/

Nearly Half Of Tenants Who Make Complaint Face 'Revenge Eviction'

Nearly half of all tenants who make a formal complaint about their housing suffer a “revenge eviction” by private landlords, according to research by Citizens Advice. It estimated that 141,000 tenants have been subject to “complain and you’re out” evictions since 2015. The evictions are possible because section 21 notices under the 1988 Housing Act allow landlords to force out tenants on a no-fault basis. Citizens Advice found that tenants who had received a section 21 notice were twice as likely to have complained to their landlord – and eight times more likely to have complained to an official redress scheme. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/aug/23/uk-rent-groups-deliver-petition-calling-for-ban-on-unfair-evictions

Revenge Eviction Law 'Not Working'

A new law designed to help protect people renting homes from rogue landlords isn't working, say MPs and housing lawyers. Faulty electrics, damp and broken boilers that don't get fixed are all officially classed as category one hazards which pose a risk to health. But many private tenants are worried that if they complain too much, they will be evicted. The law in England changed in 2015 to make "revenge evictions" illegal. But despite that change, figures gathered by Radio 1 Newsbeat through Freedom of Information requests show that more than half of local councils across England haven't used these powers. Read more on the BBC website.

9 In 10 Tenants Unaware Of New Law To Protect Them From Revenge Evictions

Nine in 10 tenants (88 per cent) say they are unaware of a new law that is intended to protect them from so called retaliatory or revenge evictions. The new law, introduced as part of the Deregulation Act, will prevent landlords from ending a tenancy using a section 21 or ‘no fault’ notice if they fail to address a complaint about the state of repair of the property that is made by their tenant to the local authority. The National Landlords Association (NLA) is calling on local councils to provide a clear framework for how they plan to deal with complaints in order to ensure that legitimate ones are taken seriously and that spurious ones don’t unnecessarily prolong the possession process.  Read more on the NLA website.

‘Revenge Eviction’ Bill Passed

The House of Lords has passed a law banning so-called ‘revenge evictions’. Passed as part of the Deregulation Bill, the new law will prohibit landlords from evicting tenants who complain about conditions in their homes. Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather attempted to ban revenge evictions with a private members’ bill last year. Though Teather’s attempt failed, the Lords picked it up and tagged it on to the Deregulation Bill. According to housing charity Shelter, over 200,000 renters face revenge evictions every year. Read more on 24dash.

New Independent Report On the Private Rented Sector

A new independent report examines the impact of proposed housing polices on the UK’s private rented sector (PRS).  The report looks at the wider roles and responsibilities of those involved in the rental process and how the PRS needs to change to meet the needs of a growing tenant population.  There has been growing scrutiny of the sector and a call for it to become a more ‘mature’ market offering good value for money together with security of tenure and properties which are let in good condition. The report concludes that while the PRS works well for most tenants and landlords, it does fail a proportion, notably through the condition of rented property and retaliatory eviction.  Download the report from the RICS website.

Landlords Accuse Govt of Political Interference

Landlords are less than happy with Government proposals to strengthen measures to protect tenants against so-called revenge evictions, considering them a politically motivated interference, and even a “charter” for anti-social tenants.  The measures were announced as a series of amendments to the Deregulation Bill. The proposals are intended to tackle retaliatory evictions, where rogue landlords evict tenants for simply asking for essential repairs to be made. The amendments extend the existing restrictions on a landlord’s powers to evict, where they don’t protect a deposit or have a licence they are required to hold, to situations where a health and safety hazard has been identified by environmental health officers. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

MPs Baffled By 'Revenge Evictions' Figures

More should be done to establish the scale of so-called ‘revenge evictions’ before legislation is brought in to tackle the problem, a group of MPs has said. Lib Dem peers have since proposed realising the plans by including them as an amendment to the Deregulation Bill currently being debated in the Lords. But a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Private Rented Sector claims that without more evidence it’s still not clear whether legislation is “necessarily the best tool” to tackle the problem. The report reads: “Too often on private rented housing it has become very easy to call for greater regulations here or there without a proper assessment of what is and isn’t working." Read more on 24dash.

Amendment to Deregulation Bill Picks Up Retaliatory Evictions 'Baton'

Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords have tabled an amendment on the Deregulation Bill with the aim of preventing retaliatory evictions, following the defeat of the party’s Tenancies (Reform) Bill. Lib Dem Peers signed the amendment to the Deregulation Bill which, if passed, would:

·         Give six months protection for victims of revenge evictions and for renters living in homes so poor, the council has intervened.

·         Put in place key safeguards and exemptions for law-abiding landlords.

The Deregulation Bill will return to the House of Lords in mid January. Read more on Inside Housing.

Fury as Conservative MPs Kill Off Bill to Ban 'Revenge Evictions'

Housing campaign groups reacted with fury after two Conservative MPs killed off the Tenancies Reform Bill through filibustering. Had the bill become law it would have put a stop to what are known as 'revenge evictions' in the private rented sector where landlords evict tenants simply for asking them to fix a problem in their home. Instead Philip Davies and Christopher Chope talked out the bill ensuring there was no time for MPs to vote, much to the disgust of the housing charity Shelter. Read more on 24dash.

Bill to Stop Revenge Evictions Published

A bill intended to outlaw ‘revenge evictions’ was published yesterday ahead of its second reading on Friday. The Tenancies (Reform Bill), tabled by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather, is intended to stop private rented sector (PRS) landlords evicting those who complain about repairs or conditions in their homes. The proposed legislation seeks to stop revenge evictions by clarifying when a ‘no-fault section 21 possession notice’ -  an eviction notice when the tenant is not at fault – cannot be served. If a council confirms a tenant’s complaint about poor conditions is genuine or a local authority issues an improvement notice to the PRS landlord a no-fault ‘section 21’ eviction notice cannot be served for six months, the bill says. Read more on Inside Housing.

Surge in Evictions As Poorest Tenants Are Hit By New Benefit Cap

The number of tenants evicted by their landlords is at a record high, new figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal, with experts blaming the spike in repossessions on benefit cuts and the growing trend of “revenge evictions”. More than 11,000 tenants were evicted in just three months between June and September this year – an 11 per cent increase on the previous quarter and the highest number since records began in 2000. In the year to September 2014, more than 40,000 households were evicted – a rise of 117 per cent on the previous 12 months. Read more on the Independent website.

New Letting Agent Redress Schemes Slammed As 'Vague and Bureaucratic'

A set of new government redress schemes aimed at policing lettings agents have been slammed as "vague and bureaucratic" on the eve of their implementation. Letting agents will be legally required to sign up to one of three redress schemes that the government insists will "ensure tenants have a straightforward option to hold their agents to account". The redress schemes have been introduced in an attempt to stop letting agents charging excessive fees and employing misleading advertising, as well as combatting so-called 'revenge evictions' when tenants are booted from their homes after complaining about conditions. Read more on 24dash.

Revenge Evictions – The New Crisis That Isn’t

Shelter issued new figures recently suggesting there is a crisis in the private rented sector due to landlords evicting tenants for complaining about standards of their rented property –“revenge evictions” as they now call them. However, if you look more closely at these figures, their argument starts to unravel. Shelter’s figures suggest there has been a rise in complaints concerning retaliatory or revenge evictions. The difficulty is how to prove that issuing possession proceedings really is an act of retaliation against a tenant.  Simply serving a Section 21 notice should not be classed as a revenge eviction. There are many reasons a landlord would need or want to serve one, and so long as they do it the right way, it is their right to do so for whatever reason they think fit.  Read more on the National Landlords Association website.

MP Aims to Ban Retaliatory Evictions

MP for Brent Central, Sarah Teather is aiming to table proposals in Parliament to stop ‘retaliatory’ evictions for tenants when they make a complaint to landlords. ‘Retaliatory evictions’ have been used to attack landlords recently and the RLA is conducting an independent survey to the reasons landlords evict tenants. MPs supporting tenants argue that security of tenure is at risk, but proposals threaten the role of section 21 notices, crucial for landlords protecting properties. Interestingly, MPs and tenant groups fail to consider the role the tenant may play in these evictions. The RLA has surveyed members regarding ‘retaliatory evictions’. This independent survey has received over 1,500 responses to challenge assertions against landlords. Read more on the RLA website.

Fresh Fears over 'Revenge Evictions'

More than a quarter of households who have become homeless over the last year in England are in this situation because their landlord ended their tenancy, new research has found, prompting fresh fears over 'revenge' evictions.  Some 13,650 private renters were accepted as homeless in 2013/2014 – the highest number in nearly 10 years and 14 per cent higher than the previous financial year, according to the CLG.  This represents 26 per cent of the total number of households accepted as homeless over the last year, which fell over all by 3 per cent to 52,260 compared to the previous year.  Housing charity Shelter said the figures were the ‘tip of the iceberg’ after its own recent survey showed calls from people who were served eviction notices from landlords had doubled over the last year. Read more on the Daily Mail website.

True Scale of 'Revenge Evictions'

Countless renters across the country are facing ‘revenge evictions’ just for speaking up about bad conditions, a Shelter study has found. In the past year alone, more than 200,000 people have faced eviction because they asked their landlord to fix a problem in their home. The study also found many were too scared of eviction to complain at all – 8% said they’d avoided asking their landlord to repair a problem or improve conditions in the last year in case they were evicted.  The problem of revenge evictions is especially concerning as the housing shortage pushes more people into renting. Just last month, the number of private renting households in England rose to almost four million – an increase of 77% in a decade. Read more on the Shelter website.