Political round-up How will landlords be affected by Renters’ Bill?

The content of the Renters’ (Reform) Bill has been published.

The detail revealed is causing great concern to me and many of my colleagues. In essence, the Bill abolishes all shorthold tenancies, the arrangement whereby a landlord and a tenant can agree that a house or flat be let for a fixed period such as six months or a year at the end of which possession is recovered. Not dissimilar principles apply to hiring a vehicle.

You contract to have exclusive use of it for a fixed period, at the end of which you must return it in good condition.

In evaluating different policy options, government ministers are normally required to consider a regulatory impact assessment setting out the costs and benefits of alternative proposals.

No such assessment has yet been provided for the Renters’ (Reform) Bill therefore frustrating those of us who are trying to evaluate what is proposed.

Will landlords withdraw rental properties from the market? What will be the effect on rents? How will landlords lawfully be able to let to students for a fixed term? How long will it take to recover possession through the courts from antisocial tenants? These and many other questions need to be addressed so that fears about the unintended consequences of the legislation can be allayed.

I have taken the usual course of putting down Parliamentary questions to ministers along these lines.

Meanwhile, I am pleased to report the outcome of my further questions about the proposals for the accommodation barge at Portland Port, the Bibby Stockholm.

I asked why the information requested had not been provided. Instead of replying to that, more information has now been given.

Those accommodated in the barge will have already been through initial screening and checks, will have been assessed for their suitability to reside at Portland and will have had their fingerprints and identities recorded.

They are ‘likely to come from various countries’ and will be ‘non-detained’. If someone is late returning from a visit off the vessel ‘they will be contacted to ascertain their whereabouts’.

The barge will provide the capacity for 506 asylum seekers. It will contain ‘multiple occupancy rooms that are an appropriate size for the number of occupants in the appropriate space standard’.

‘There will be adequate accommodation, catering, laundry, facilities to support their wellbeing and transport to and from the local community’.

‘Any entry into and/or movement through the port is controlled by the security provider’.

‘Appropriate procedures will be in place to prevent the spread of infectious disease which is being considered by the Multi Agency Forum Health subgroup’.

Why are government ministers still so reluctant to provide full information to MPs and their constituents?