Renters (Reform) Bill (Second sitting)

Helen Morgan Excerpts

Committee stage
Tuesday 14th November 2023 Public Bill Committees

[The Chair]

I call Helen Morgan. This will have to be the last question, I am afraid.

[Helen Morgan (North Shropshire) (LD)]

Q Briefly, you mentioned the possibility of the attractiveness of longer-term tenancies without the six-month break point at which you can be evicted. Will you expand on that?

Ben Twomey: It is really important, if you are thinking about a private rented sector that is attractive to tenants, rather than something that we feel trapped in. It needs to be something that recognises that there are 11 million private renters across England, and that, for many of us, we are here to stay in the private rented sector. It is no longer just a quick in and out—a temporary thing—while we save enough money to buy our own home. The protection is important, knowing that you can be in your home for a certain period of time—unless, of course, you do something seriously wrong, in which case there are protections in the grounds for landlords to act on that. At the moment, there is only a six-month protected period in which you are safe from a no-fault eviction, within the Bill’s wording. As I said, that does not really change the situation we are currently in, so it is not actually ambitious towards a fairer private rented sector.

We believe that the period should be two years. That would mean the landlord—if they are taking housing seriously and recognising that homes are the foundation of our lives—would be comfortable knowing that they can hold off selling the property and moving a family member in for two years. If they need to do some of those things afterwards—which would be a great shame, because the tenants are probably enjoying the property—they can still do that after that period. Six months feels far too short; it treats it like temporary accommodation—

[The Chair]

Order. I am afraid that brings us to the end of the time allotted to the Committee to ask questions. I thank the witnesses, on behalf of the Committee.

Examination of Witness

Francesca Albanese gave evidence.