No-fault Evictions

Lord Best Excerpts

Thursday 26th October 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Swinburne (Con)]

I understand the noble Lord’s frustration, but we are improving the court system to give landlords confidence that they can regain possession in the minority of cases where the court action is needed. This remains a top priority for both the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Ministry of Justice. Improved access will redress through a new PRS ombudsman that will encourage early dispute resolution so that only cases which need a judgment come to court. This will free up time for the courts to process the most serious cases.

[Lord Best (CB)]

Some of the bad behaviour of the private rental sector comes from the letting agents who look after the properties on behalf of the landlords or investors. These letting agents have no need to have any qualifications, there are no requirements in law, and no regulation. Is the Renters (Reform) Bill going to bring in at long last regulation of property agents so that we get proper qualified people looking after properties and lose some of those bad agents out there, where unnecessary and very often illegal evictions are taking place in their hands?

[Baroness Swinburne (Con)]

I do not have a specific answer for the noble Lord. I can tell him that there will be a new private rental property portal, which will help landlords to understand their legal obligations and will help their agents understand that too, but I will ask the department to revert to him in writing.