Mayor denounces the Government’s failure to ban Section 21
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, says tenants have been "betrayed" by the loss of the Renters (Reform) Bill as Parliament was shut down before the General Election.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has condemned the Government’s failure to pass the Renters (Reform) Bill before the General Election.
He has called it a “huge betrayal” of tenants in the Capital that Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’ will not now be banned.
The bill did not make it before Parliament was dissolved, and it was dropped completely.
Dismay
Labour has pledged to deliver a ban on Section 21 if the party wins the election, but there will be a delay at the very least.
There was dismay in the property industry that the bill was lost.
Analysis at City Hall in London found that the number of no-fault evictions increased 52% in the last year, more than five times the rate in the rest of England and Wales.
Betrayal
Khan said: “The Government’s failure to pass the Renters (Reform) Bill before the dissolution of Parliament is a huge betrayal of London’s 2.7m private renters, who are left with the threat of eviction hanging over their heads.
“These latest stats from City Hall are shocking and the unacceptable delay to this vital Bill will leave even more renters in the capital at unnecessary risk of housing insecurity and homelessness,” he said.
“Renters rights must be a national priority and no-fault evictions banned for good.”
Leasehold reform
The Leasehold and Freehold Bill was one of the only law changes that made it through the ‘wash-up’ in Parliament before the election.
A ban on leaseholds for new houses became law, as well as extending the standard lease term to 990 years. But a controversial cap on ground rent was left out.