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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

 Labour and LibDems claim evictions may cause ‘homelessness wave’

A group of Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have together claimed that England could witness "a new wave of homelessness" when a ban on evictions ends next week.

Twenty MPs - including a Democratic Unionist from Northern Ireland - have signed a letter sent to the government complaining at the end of the evictions ban, following its introduction in March as part of emergency legislation as the pandemic emerged.

The Welsh government has doubled the notice period required for evictions issued on or after 24 July to six months, excluding cases relating to anti-social behaviour; the Scottish government is set to extend its ban on evicting renters until March 2021.

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Now the MPs - nine Labour, 10 Lib Dem and one DUP - have urged the government to do more to protect the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in England "given the ongoing threat of Coronavirus and the risk of a potential second wave”.

The Lib Dem signatories include the two party leadership candidates, Sir Ed Davey and Layla Moran.

The Westminster government says allowing eviction hearings to resume is an important step towards protecting landlords' rights. It adds that new repossession rules in England will provide appropriate protection for renters after eviction court hearings resume.

  • girish mehta

    Extend no eviction because these politicians have taken short term decision in past and sleep walking into this situation.
    Extend the ban longer and the landlords default or less as be the market.
    Results more people homeless.
    With the economy and job less increase and more reliant on benefit to survive.
    On the end it will cost lot more to address the issues.
    It will not matter to these politicians as the would have moved on to plum jobs and leave someone else to clear up their mess and become advisors or take up well paid charity jobs to peddle their nonsense as they are incapable of understanding the complex issues.

  • James B

    They are making the homeless problem worse chasing the tenant vote for their own jobs.. more landlords will walk the harder they are bashed

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    • 18 August 2020 08:57 AM

    A homeless wave?
    If they have not paid, then let them rot. They have brought it on themselves, and they probably would have been in the same position anyway, even without the virus. Covid is just an excuse for these scroungers.

    If it continues, then Girish is right. More landlords will be forced to default on mortgages, and then the house is repossessed and therefore the tenant gets evicted anyway, just taking more people with them.

    Appallingly short sighted.

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    Do these people live on the same planet as the rest of us? Why do they think it’s ok to manipulate the law so that other law abiding citizens have to become a charity and part of the social services sector. If you don’t pay for your car they’ll take it back. You broke your agreement. Why is this any different in the eyes of the law? Taxed the hell out of . Regulated the hell out of now they won’t be happy until we do this for free!

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    • 18 August 2020 10:33 AM

    Quite right.....It is just an appalling situation that rental defaults, house trashing and filthy habits and disregard of normal ways of living are civil crimes and not criminal crimes.

    And it seem it will forever be the same.

    The Germans and Australians have the right way.....1 day late in rent payment and the authorities are at the door and the tenant is escorted out, there and then.

    Of course, there is very few defaulting tenants in those countries.

    Now who would have ever thought that. And think of the legal costs that are saved.

    Anyone want to start a campaign for change?

     
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    Twenty out of over six hundred MPs. Presumably these are the gobby ones full of self-interest and lacking common sense. As soon as I saw Ed (I want to be leader) Davey was one of the signatories, I knew not to take them seriously.

    They choose to ignore the survey from NRLA preferring to use emotive phrases in a vote chasing exercise. Perhaps someone should point out to them that banning evictions will make bailiffs unemployed. What they are seeking is a ban on landlords repossessing THEIR property for any reason whatsoever. Eviction sounds so much more emotive and vote grabbing though.

    Bailiffs evict, landlords repossess.

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    The Govt and All the Tenant supporters seem bizarrely to be overlooking the Welfare states responsibility to House people who haven't got accommodation.
    Whether Local Authorities choose to do that or not, applying the ground of ' Intentional Homelessness ' - i.e. Not paying your rent, ( or renting somewhere above your means ) is a political matter.

    We don't have anything like this weird scenario in other Private rental arrangements.

    There are no Car rental support groups, campaigning against rental companies wanting to take back their vehicles after a leasing period or where the ' customer ' ceases paying the lease agreement.

    If Government want to place special emphasis on Housing , - then build enough to cope with those small percentage of tenants who cannot sustain a private rented tenancy ( because the vast majority manage to do so just fine. ) Is it going to take a Human Rights challenge against the Government for the abuse of Article 1 of Human Rights Act ;

    Protocol 1, Article 1: Protection of property
    " Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. No one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided for by law and by the general principles of international law. "

    Its not in the 'Public interest' to support wilful Rent defaulters. If their Not wilful and subject of Covid hardships, the Govt Welfare state should 'stump-up' ( as Wales are doing ) not transfer the debt onto Private individuals.

    When will the majority of private renters wake up to the damage to the number of homes that are available to rent that so-called Tenant support like Ginger Rent and No Shelter are causing them. ?

  • girish mehta

    Rental arrears should be only for 4 months give max 6 months. Anyone who has more than 6 months the landlords get possession in 14 days
    When they go to council for help the will then need to explain what they have done to their rent payment. If they have spent somewhere else
    Council should refuse to rehouse them. Rest government need to pay and support using loan scheme
    Problem solved no lengthy court cases . Landlords gets the house and re let to new tenants
    Problem tenant learn the hard way to respect the law and their responsibilities to society
    Rather than staying at home on benefit and indulge in unsocial behaviour and low level crimes

  • girish mehta

    Desperate politicians would do and say anything to anyone who would listen to get in power. God help us if this is the calibration of our future leaders

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