Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 8
Fifth Report - Reforming the Private Rented Sector
Published 9 Feb 2023
Paragraph 66
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)
The rate of non-decency in the private rented sector (PRS) is much higher than in the social housing sector, so we welcome the introduction of a legally binding decent homes standard (DHS). The cost to landlords of meeting the new standard could, in some instances, become an obstacle to compliance, but we do not think this point should be overstated. As the Government says, four-fifths of PRS homes already Reforming the Private Rented Sector 59 meet the social housing DHS. Furthermore, since compliance with criterion A (the requirement that all homes be free of category 1 hazards) is already effectively a legal requirement, under the Homes (Fit for Human Habitation) Act 2018, this part of the new DHS would not place a significant additional expectation on landlords, and the Government should feel under no obligation to consider the financial burden on landlords whose properties do not comply.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Fifth Report - Reforming the Private Rented Sector (HC 624), paragraph 66, 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".