Michael Gove Reveals When Rent Reforms Will Hit Parliament

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has finally revealed when long-awaited rent reforms will hit Parliament.

During an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Gove explained landlords would gain powers to deal with anti-social tenants in return for losing Section 21 no-fault eviction rights.

Then, he disclosed that the Rent Reform Bill would go before Parliament in two months after years of sitting on the legislation back-burner.

“We’re being forward reforms a little later this year - in a couple of months time actually - to see how the private rental sector can be better regulated,” said the secretary of state.

“We’re not talking about rent controls or rent caps, but we are talking about protections for tenants.

Police powers

“At the moment, there’s a situation where tenants can be evicted without any fault on their part, and some - a tiny minority - of unscrupulous landlords are using the threat of eviction to jack up rents and to victimise tenants.

“So it’s important to recognise that a healthy private rental sector is absolutely vital to know we have the right people with the right homes at the right time. So we need to always protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords even as we also give landlords the right to get rid of anti-social tenants.”

The new eviction powers for landlords are part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s action plan to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Under the plan, 16 police forces will set up extra patrols to deal with anti-social behaviour in 16 towns and cities with the worst problems, with roll-out starting next year.

Laughing gas

Offenders must repair any damage they have caused within 48 hours of committing the offence. The new measures include making them pick up litter, wash police cars and clean graffiti.

The new rules will ban nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, a popular drug for 16 to 24-year-olds who hang around in parks or streets, causing trouble.

“Anti-social behaviour undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home,” said Gove.

“The public have rightly had enough – which is why I am determined to restore people’s confidence that those responsible will be quickly and visibly punished.”

Further reading:

More about the new anti-social behaviour task force

More about proposed rent reforms