Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 4
Fifth Report - Reforming the Private Rented Sector
Published 9 Feb 2023
Paragraph 47
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Reforming the Private Rented Sector All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government: • increase from six months to one year the period at the start of a tenancy during which the landlord may not use either ground; • increase the notice period from two months to four months, to give tenants time to save up for moving costs and find alternative accommodation; 58 Reforming the Private Rented Sector • increase from three months to six months the period following the use of either the sales ground or the occupation ground during which the landlord may not market or relet the property; and • in the case of the sales ground, encourage landlords to sell with sitting tenants—for example, by requiring the property to be advertised for sale with sitting tenants for six months before an eviction notice can be served.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Fifth Report - Reforming the Private Rented Sector (HC 624), paragraph 47, 9 February 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 20 October 2023 (deadline 9 April 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes "the thrust of the report" and accepts or reflects the Committee's aims in several areas, but declines a number of recommendations, including on student tenancies, a Housing Court and rent review clauses.
- On antisocial behaviour, it "fully agree[s] with the intent" of the recommendation but proposes a different approach: it will lower the threshold for Ground 14 and maintain judicial discretion instead of making the ground mandatory.
- On courts, it says "We do not agree that introducing a Housing Court is the best way", and it "would not be practical" to prioritise rent arrears cases. It will not proceed with the abolition of section 21 "until reforms to the justice system are in place".
- It does not support retaining fixed terms for students, saying it "would unfairly lock students into contracts". It will instead introduce a new ground for possession to facilitate the yearly cycle of student tenancies.
- On enforcement funding, it will ensure that "where necessary" new costs to local authorities "are fully funded", in accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine. It has "no current plans to criminalise non-payment of a civil penalty".