Mayor to use new Renters’ Rights Act to crackdown on rogue landlords

Mayor Richard Parker today warned rogue landlords to expect tough consequences if they fail to comply with new laws that will ban no-fault evictions from 1 May next year.

The end of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notices is part of sweeping changes to the private rental system being introduced under the new Renters’ Rights Act.

Others include a limit on rent increases and the end of fixed-term tenancy contracts and rental bidding.

Welcoming the new laws, the Mayor said the region would be proactive in using them to improve quality of life for private renters and raise the decency and safety of their homes.

But he also encouraged the thousands of fair and responsible West Midlands landlords to find out what the changes will mean for them and use the next few months to get ready.

The Act will see the biggest changes for private renters in a generation but also seeks to create a fairer system for landlords who will get stronger, legally valid reasons to get their properties back – including rent arrears and anti-social behaviour.

Mayor Richard Parker has welcomed the new Renters' Rights Act and says he will use it to crackdown on rogue landlords in the region

The Mayor said: “Everyone deserves a safe, secure and decent home – it’s a fundamental right, and essential for people’s wellbeing and their ability to get on in life.

“While many landlords do right by their tenants, there are others that don’t, leaving young children in damp, unhealthy homes, and their parents living in fear of losing their home through no fault of their own.

“We must keep driving up the standard of private rental accommodation in our region and protect vulnerable people and families.

“That’s why I will be working with our local councils in using these new laws to support fair minded landlords so they are ready for 1 May but also crackdown on those rogue landlords who have blighted too many lives for far too long.”

Local councils will be legally responsible for overseeing the new laws, backed by stronger enforcement powers and support from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which is chaired by the Mayor.

This includes tougher fines of up to £7,000 for breaches, rising to £40,000 for repeated breaches of the rules or for serious offences. Tenants or local authorities will also be able to seek rent repayment orders, forcing landlords to pay back rent for offences.

In addition to the ban on no-fault evictions, which leave hundreds of local families at risk of homelessness each year, other measures coming into effect on 1 May under the Renters’ Rights Act include making it illegal for landlords to:

• Increase rent prices more than once a year
• Ask for more than one month’s rent payment in advance
• Pit prospective tenants against one another through rental bidding wars
• Discriminate against potential tenants because they receive benefits or have children.

Tenants will also be able to appeal excessive above-market rent increases that try to force them out and require landlords to consider requests to rent with a pet.

There are 225,000 privately rented homes in the West Midlands, but a quarter fail to meet minimum standards of decency due to issues like excessive damp, mould and cold.

Later next year, the Act will see the introduction of more protections to improve conditions in privately rented accommodation. These include the creation of a Landlord Ombudsman to help settle disputes between landlords and tenants and the rollout of a mandatory landlord database, which will provide key information on each PRS property.

A consultation is expected to start soon on rolling out Awaab’s Law, which tackles damp and mouldy homes in the social housing sector, to the private rental sector to help protect private tenants from dangerous homes.

More information of the forthcoming changes and what they mean for landlords can be found at https://housinghub.campaign.gov.uk/renting-is-changing/