5th
Mar 2021
Labour MP for East Ham Stephen Timms has written to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick requesting him to back his five measures to further tighten more controls over private rental sector landlords.
Timms requests:
• The Housing Act must be changed to support those tenants whose incomes have fallen because of the pandemic
• The Renters Reform Bill must be fast tracked as quickly as possible to prevent landlords using what he refers to as ‘no fault evictions’ whilst the pandemic is ongoing
• Councils must receive funds specifically to clear tenants’ rental arrears in areas where the Local Housing Allowance is lower than their monthly rent
• Landlords must be supported who are “at a serious risk of financial hardship”, however the money must not cover any more than 80% of the rental costs
• The government must “properly resource local authority regulation of the private rental sector so they are able to help protect tenants from illegal eviction and harassment.”
Timms asks for the five terms to be implemented in his letter to Jenrick which also stated that 500,000 tenants are behind with their rent solely because of Covid, which according to him has hit renters far more from poorer sections of the community and ethnic minorities.
“At present there is no policy framework in place to deal with the growing rent arrears crisis. In the absence of any regulation, therefore, landlords are incentivised to take their tenants to court in order to claim unpaid rent. Renters are left to fend for themselves.”
Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: “It is reassuring to see that the MP wants the government to help landlords who are having to suffer rental arrears, but why 80% as I am sure that landlords themselves still have to pay 100% of their mortgage, as well as all other monthly costs?”
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