Activist group Generation Rent, in collaboration with the trades union UNISON, has unveiled a new report highlighting the urgent need for substantial reforms to address the rental crisis affecting key worker tenants. The report, entitled “Workers Demand Bolder Solutions to the Rental Crisis,” stems from a series of roundtable discussions involving union members, with participant identities kept confidential.
The 28-page document is a compilation of testimonies from these discussions, painting a stark picture of the precarious conditions faced by renters. It asserts that landlords in England have the power to evict tenants with ease through Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions or by implementing unaffordable rent hikes. The report describes a pervasive fear among tenants of unjust evictions and homelessness, with significant portions of wages consumed by rent. Additionally, it highlights the prevalence of substandard living conditions and inadequate responses from landlords and letting agents.
Generation Rent and UNISON emphasize that the change in government presents a crucial moment to amplify renters’ voices and advocate for systemic change. They outline eight key recommendations aimed at overhauling the rental sector:
- Abolish Section 21 Evictions: Enact legislation to permanently ban Section 21 no-fault evictions, enhance tenant stability through open-ended, permanent tenancies, extend eviction notice periods, and implement safeguards against unjust evictions.
- Implement Rent Controls: Introduce mechanisms to curb soaring rents and eliminate no-fault evictions driven by rent increases.
- Regulate Tenancy Applications: Ban ‘bidding wars’ that artificially inflate rents and regulate the application process for new tenancies.
- Enforce Repair Standards: Mandate timely repairs by private landlords in line with new basic standards, ensuring decency in the Private Rented Sector.
- Empower Local Councils: Provide adequate resources to local councils and establish a rigorous enforcement regime against criminal landlords and letting agents.
- Revamp the Benefits System: Create a benefits system that does not penalize those working extra hours and supports tenants in paying rent and covering other living costs.
- End Hostile Environment Policies: Abolish policies such as Right to Rent checks and restrictions on public funds access, which hinder renters from securing safe homes.
- Cease Right to Buy and Build Affordable Housing: Terminate the Right to Buy scheme in England and invest in constructing affordable housing, particularly council and social rented homes, to ensure availability for low to modest-income individuals, including retirees struggling with private rents.
This report signals a call to action, urging the government and stakeholders to take immediate and decisive steps to protect renters and ensure affordable, safe, and secure housing for all.