Initial Statement on the Proposed Renter's Reform Bill.

We welcome all strengthened protections for private tenants who are living with constant fear and insecurity during the current housing and cosy living crisis. Rent continues to increase and home ownership and Registered Social Landlord tenancies remain unattainable for many. Alongside these issues, we are also seeing a serious uptick in private rented sector evictions.

However, we are extremely concerned about the impact that changes to the ground for possession and the removal of fixed term contracts will have on these tenants. Though improvements in enforcement and housing conditions are desperately needed, without more detail it is hard to properly consider what benefits this will bring and how it will work. We will be scrutinising this Bill more thoroughly to address our concerns.

Whilst we welcome greater protections for renters, we continue to highlight existing issues around housing and #AccessToJustice. It is already extremely difficult to enforce housing rights as a tenant as a result of housing legal advice deserts, civil legal aid contracting rules, cuts to legal aid fees and the growing recruitment and retention problem in the sector.