5th
May 2022
Generation Rent activists are now demanding the government should introduce its seven demands for the PRS include the ‘tired’ call for rent freezes, a new ban on evictions and for the taxpayer to clear tenants’ rental arrears.
The Baroness Alicia Kennedy led charity has just released a statement saying that private tenants are suffering the most from ever spiralling cost of living rises.
In its statement the charity refers to the Office of National Statistics stats that found in March that 59 per cent of tenants were finding it increasingly difficult to pay their energy bills.
The group also says that virtually half of renters who took part in the government survey have had to spend less on food and other essentials and says “While home owners could be hit by rising rates, renters have it worse.”
The charity also claims one in three tenants said that in the last six months their landlords had increased rent and six per cent had fallen into rental arrears.
Generation Rent is demanding that the government must:
1. Outlaw rental increases during the cost of living ‘pandemic’;
2. Immediately ban Section 21 notices and evictions with landlords not needing a reason to repossess their properties, as well as stopping Section 8 and Ground 8 evictions if tenants fall behind in rent payments by two months, and are unable to make any form of challenge;
3. Reverse the freeze on Local Housing Allowances so benefit recipients are able to pay their rent as the rates remain at 2019 – 2020 levels;
4. Bring back the Discretionary Housing Payment in line with the 2020-2021 levels when £180m funding was available to help those tenants unable to cope with housing costs;
5. Restore the additional £20 per week Universal Credit uplift;
6. Stop landlords taking on tenants who can afford to pay up front multiple months’ rent upfront;
7. Increase taxpayers’ funding to help clear tenants rent arrears from October 2021 when £65m was available
Baroness Kennedy head of Generation Rent, says: “Although interest rates are rising, home owners are able to minimise costs by re-mortgaging. Renters don’t have the same option: if your landlord thinks they can get a higher rent from a new tenant, there’s not much you can do.
“If you try to negotiate, your landlord can simply serve a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice.
"With renters so vulnerable to rent hikes and incomes stagnant, this causes impossible choices between paying rent and putting food on the table. Without a suspension of evictions and a rent freeze, the cost of living crisis will lead to spiralling rent arrears and homelessness for thousands of families.”
Richard Merrick of PIMS, comments: “We do understand that cost of living rises are hitting tenants hard but also the vast majority of the populace as well, these types of groups are forever ‘branding’ all tenants as ‘ever the eternal victims’. They fail to make any mention of rogue and career criminal renters ‘stealing’ thousands of pounds with unpaid rent and despite rulings, many landlords will not be paid back.”
Richard, adds:” One or two points may be useful but if the government gives powers of rent caps/freezes to authorities and as proven in the past rents will rise either because of landlords selling up, or in many cases ‘legally’ charging the proper going rate.”
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