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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Councils and Labour add to calls to scrap Section 21 eviction powers

The Local Government Association, which represents almost all councils in England, is calling on the government to scrap section 21.

The call comes in the LGA’s response to the latest Shelter campaign urging the government to delay the proposed end of the eviction ban.

Shelter claims one in six private renting parents - equivalent to 458,000 adults - are increasingly concerned their family will become homeless.

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LGA spokesman David Renard says: “Councils have serious concerns about the risk of homelessness many private renters face as a result of the Coronavirus crisis.

“We are clear that building 100,000 social homes a year must form a central part of the national recovery. To give further protection to private tenants, the government should also bring forward its pledge to end ‘no fault evictions’ and commit to maintaining local housing allowance rates at the lowest third of market rents, so that tenants have greater security and households can meet their housing costs.”

This is just the latest in a series of calls on the government to scrap S21 which the Tories pledged to abolish in their manifesto for the December General Election.

Another Labour MP has taken up the same call, linking S21 to the eviction ban, and claiming in a social media video that “thousands” of people across her London constituency risk losing their homes because of the ending of the eviction ban in four weeks time.

Fleur Anderson, who won the Putney constituency in the December poll, says in the video: “I am really worried about the thousands of people across my constituency, and much wider, who face real worry about losing their home” as a result of the eviction ban ending on August 24.

Anderson has written to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to urge him to scrap S21 eviction powers, to raise local housing allowances, and to give courts discretion in rent arrears cases so they can take Coronavirus-related issues into consideration “so they are able to stop those evictions.”

She also wants Jenrick to fund what she calls “crisis navigators” in local law centres “so we can have advisers who can stop people even getting to the stage of eviction.”

The demands from Anderson - who is a backbench MP - echo those of Labour’s shadow housing minister, Thangam Debbonaire, who has made similar requests.

  •  G romit

    Another clueless Labour MP.

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    Aren’t most of them?

     
  • James B

    Of course councils want it banned it stops the worst tenants coming to them .. it’s a disgrace how government has hung landlords out to dry behind the virus .. constant pandering to tenants for votes nothing will change in Landlords favour

  • jeremy clarke

    Councils of course don't want landlords to evict tenants, good or bad because they simply do not have the facilities to accommodate. So short sighted because rather than working against landlords they need to be working with them to prevent a perfect storm of homeless unwanted tenants and some very good tenants as landlords slowly lose the will to provide the service that they currently provide to local councils and gov.

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    I lost that many years ago when a council’s guarantee turned out to be worthless.

     
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    When all 'small landlords' give up how are millions of people going to be housed? All the rights are with the tenant anyway and it's never been more stressful being a landlord than it is right now. If the government are crazy enough to make it impossible to evict BAD tenants then it will be game over and best of luck to the local council finding them somewhere to live. We save the government funding huge temporary accommodation bills. Most tenants on furlough are more financially secure than the landlord most of whom just want a modest income from renting. I have never been closer to selling up than right now

    S l
    • S l
    • 31 July 2020 11:33 AM

    Most of the tenants on furlough or not actually have a pretty high level of spending like those on benefits compare to those who work on minimum wage whether on full time or part time job. Hence, it is more beneficial not to work than to work. These tenants are not paying rent because they squandered it all on new toys for kids, new clothes, new sofa, new tv but hey, no money for a roof over their head which one would have thought that would be the first thing to pay with food on the table. But then who are we to argue when the government are too busy pandering to the whims of these tenants with or without kids. Look at the countries in Asia where there are no welfare state. Everybody would work hard as they dont want to be homeless. They wont just nilly willy get pregnant knowing they got no way of feeding their kids. They wont splash around like no tomorrow knowing they had to pay for housing and food first before anything else. So where did our government gone wrong??

     
  • girish mehta

    It’s game for landlords pull out while you can . The government want landlords to provide free housing whilst pay their taxes
    They Have tried all options with housing associations, trying to manage these group. They have made huge money getting houses for bargain prices.
    Now the council and government have no money.
    In order to cut their housing bill they have now target landlords
    The council and the government will end up paying in the end as landlords pull out
    I am not taking risk with my assets and provide service for free
    It is Time for politicians to work constructively with everyone build more house and provide landlords with right policies rather than jumping on band wagon tot seeking attention to get votes

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    Another stupid shout from Labour and Labour councils, I see Shelta pushing their agenda as well.
    Its time for change on the attack of Landlords. Time to email Parliment.

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    The only 'shelter' they provide is some temporary respite to Rogue tenants.
    Nothing for the majority of compliant Tenants and much of what they do discourages renting to the very tenants that need accommodation the most.
    Well done Shelter. - The majority of tenants despise you and the minority are grateful for your perverse existence.

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    • 30 July 2020 17:05 PM

    Mostly though no tenant should worry about losing their house as long as they pay.
    How simple does it have to be?

    Pay & you stay
    Don't and you won't.

    What else can I say?

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    I think they 'get it' David but this country has such a culture of " Helping those who WON'T help themselves.

    That's why we have boat-fulls of arrivals across the channel everyday ( Has our Govt ever wondered why they travel from Terrorist countries 3/4's of the way round the world and don't stop in any of the other countries they pass through ? )

    Everybody in the world want's a piece of Free Britain, with Labour set to accelerate it !

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    • 30 July 2020 17:17 PM

    Yep everyone has a mobile phone these days and they can easily find out how to game the Welfare State and NHS.
    If I was in the same position as these illegal economic migrants I would do the same.

    Time to throw up an 'Iron Curtain' in reverse.
    Hungary have proven it is possible.
    They need to be emulated by the other EU countries.

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    Check out Speye Joe’s latest article: ‘ Can we solve homelessness in England? The facts say absolutely not!’ for great insight into the stupidity of council thinking.

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    • 31 July 2020 01:09 AM

    The Homeless problem could be solved by concentrating all the homeless into old army camps

    They won't be able to beg on streets anymore.
    Their UC should pay for their camp accomn

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    • 31 July 2020 08:50 AM

    Brilliant idea.
    Where do I sign on?
    Send them all NOW!!!!!!!!

  • girish mehta

    Immigrants work hard. The illegal immigrants work harder work in shady business live on their own . And the contribution to the economy. They are doing the jobs which no one wants to do them and the people on the dole think it is beneath them and look down on these people. I have high regards for them as they have fire to better them self and their family unlike people on dole expecting everyone to look after them and their families for. Free for generations . Their only goal in fife is live for free, drink and have babies,
    This is the voters the government is chasing

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    • 31 July 2020 10:00 AM

    The mass uncontrolled immigration has been of NO net benefit to the UK.

    Someone will have to do the 'immigrant' jobs.

    I suggest conscription.
    Reject 3 jobs and lose ALL your benefits.
    That should concentrate minds of feckless welfare scroungers!!!!

     
    PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    SOME Immigrants work hard, but they aren't the problem. Its the immigrants who travel 3/4 's of the way round the world from Terrorist countries, which upon landing, get coached up to the 4* Hilton in Birmingham and accommodated at tax-payers expense.
    Everyone around the world has heard about Britain's Free society.
    Just Rock-up and claim.
    No wonder we have have our own not wanting to work, when they can have a living ( topped -up by crime ) for doing Nowt.
    its Tax-payers of which landlords pay a bigger proportion, courtesty of that Plank Osbourne that fund all this.

     
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    @ Paul Barrett I call tehm Gimmegrants.

     
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    I will never put up "No DSS" signs for I know it should be "No DWP". How can anyone be expected to house people who they know have no obligation to pay? Yes benefit tenants are welcome to come for an interview but they will have to have a property owning guarantor and direct payment from the DWP, in writing, from the outset (before a tenancy is issued) and in perpetuity. Simples.

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    These councils are shooting themselves in the foot. They keep begging landlords to come on board with them, yet do everything they can to ensure no landlord will ever take the risk! Absolute idiots. And they wonder why landlords won’t work with them...

    PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Yep, pay us x amount Civil penalty then next week Offer 4x times that if they'll take a Tenant ?
    Looney. - I think they get their dis-jointed thinking from MHCLG

     
  • girish mehta

    Deposit is a waste of time,the government will back tanents all the time . council and DWP will make landlords life difficult as they do not want to pay .
    When you take tanents to court
    Charities who get money from government and would crate new roles in disguise of tanents right group and fleece the government. The justice system will fleece the landlords. After all that if you come through then the government will tax you to max .
    These people think landlords have money growing trees and preach and have policies to encourage free loaders .
    Buying house was difficult for all generations they all had to make sacrifices in life. Generation rent think this is unique problem to them. They need to learn the ways of life the hard way.
    Letting to a tenant take deposit. And they pay for top notch rental and damage insurance .with leading cover. Guarantor who has a property owning the tenants is liable for full rent. If he can’t afford it he does not get the place no matter what these charities say. Possession is 90% of law and no one can make me give my place to anyone. It’s mine and I only decide

    Sooner they get the message so quicker they will reform and manage their expectations

    There are no organisation who represent landlords at top level.

    The fallout from Covid will force changes

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