The majority of landlords (75 per cent) are “very concerned” about plans to abolish Section 21 no fault evictions, research from Landbay has revealed.
The research found their main concern was a loss of control of their property and their ability to remove problem tenants.
They argued the ability to expel bad tenants was “vital”.
One landlord said: “Abolition of section 21 is completely wrong - landlords need to be able to take back control of their property, if so desired, once the fixed term assured shorthold tenancy has expired.”
Landbay sales and distribution director, Rob Stanton, said: “Rent reform has long been on Labour’s radar and formed a key part of its election manifesto.
“We knew this would be a priority for the new government and it looks like it plans to move quickly.
“Nonetheless, our research shows that landlords have significant concerns about the new bill, particularly around ‘no fault’ evictions.
“While no decent landlord will object to tenants being treated fairly, they argue that the property owner deserves the same rights.
“We have to hope that, as the bill starts its long journey through parliament and the House of Lords, amendments are made to create a fairer piece of legislation that doesn’t negatively impact supply or rent for tenants.”
The ban on “no fault” evictions was first proposed by the previous government under its renters’ reform bill.
A subsequent amendment meant that abolition would only happen once improvements had been made to the court process.
However, the bill ran out of parliamentary time when the General Election was called.
The new bill proposes abolishing “no fault evictions”, removing the threat of arbitary evictions and increasing tenant security and stability.
New clear and expanded possession grounds will be introduced so landlords can reclaim their properties when they need to.
One landlord said: “To have any faith in these proposals is to be naive with regard to the capacity of the British court system to handle the workload in a reasonable time.”
Another added: “Currently, the courts are overwhelmed with the amount of requests they get. The courts need to cope before the bill is implemented.”
tom.dunstan@ft.com
What's your view?
Have your say in the comments section below or email us: ftadviser.newsdesk@ft.com
