Industry Comments on Housing Policies
David Cox, Rightmove’s legal expert said: “As expected, the new Labour government has introduced its own Renters’ Rights Bill, which contains similar details to the previous Renters’ Reform Bill. It is designed to abolish no-fault evictions and reform grounds for possession and increase tenant rights. With parliament expected to break for recess at the end of the month, it is unlikely we’ll see anything come to fruition until October at the earliest.”
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert said: “The new government can now get going with its pledge to improve planning processes so that building homes can take place more quickly. We need more, good quality homes across the UK in the right places, so that everyone can find their next home, whether they are looking to rent, buy for the first time, upsize or downsize.”
The continued focus on planning reform should also be applauded because it has been almost a century since any government understood its role in enabling business growth, better places and a healthier, well-functioning society. It does feel as though country is being put before party.”
Chris Norris, Policy Director for the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “With an average of 15 households chasing every available home to rent it is vital that rental reform does not make an already serious supply crisis in the private rented sector worse.
“The system that replaces Section 21 needs to be fair, workable and sustainable for both responsible landlords and renters. That means fixing a broken justice system which too often fails those reliant upon it.
“The Housing Minister has rightly noted that landlords need the courts to operate quickly where they have a good reason to repossess a property. This includes cases of tenant anti-social behaviour and serious rent arrears, which currently take almost seven months to process. This is far too long.
“Tenants are no better served by delays, which increase hardship, stress, and uncertainty. We need action from the Government, alongside the Bill, to ensure all are able to access justice in a timely fashion when they need to do so.
“We will work constructively with the Government as it continues to work on the detail of its plans.”
Guy Gittins, CEO of Foxtons, says: “It’s promising to see that our new Labour Government has positioned planning reform and housing supply at the forefront of its intentions for the property market.
The setting of new delivery targets, coupled with a more streamlined planning process, should help to provide the structure required to increase the supply of new homes reaching the market.
Of course, these initiatives are all well and good but it’s housebuilders that deliver new homes, not the Government itself. So it will be interesting to see how the Government intends to incentivise housebuilders to increase their stock delivery.
Freeing up wrongly classified areas of the green belt should also help with respect to increased supply, although this is a fiercely contentious area that is likely to be met with ferocious objection, as has been the case previously. How the Government plans to adjust public perception will be pivotal if they are to deliver where other Governments have so far failed.
It’s also imperative that the Government gives serious thought as to how they can encourage new landlords to invest within the private rental sector, as this is sorely needed if we are to address the supply and demand imbalance that has been so prevalent over the last few years.
All in all, positive news for the property market which should further add to the momentum that has been building so far this year and help fuel what is shaping up to be a very buoyant final six months.”
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