Following the third reading of the Renters Reform Bill on Tuesday this week, Nick Emmerson, President of the Law Society has shared his thoughts.
“We have been increasingly frustrated by the government’s delays in reforming the rental market and are disappointed with the obstacles being placed in the way of implementing the abolition of no-fault eviction.
The proposed changes to the Renters Reform Bill risk delaying implementation of the ban on ‘no-fault’ evictions.
The suggested changes would require that the MoJ should report the impact on courts before ‘no-fault’ evictions are banned. While assessing the impact should be part of the implementation process, it should not be written into legislation or used as a reason to further delay the removal of Section 21.
The pressure points are already clear and the government should be acting today to address them.
A ban on ‘no-fault’ evictions is a critical step in strengthening renters’ rights, which is necessary in order to make all other tenants’ rights meaningful. The government must implement this ban immediately, while funding the impact on courts.
We also have concerns about proposals to change rules of evidence for anti-social behaviour and will be considering the detail carefully.”
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