Longer Tenancies in the PRS

Filed in Landlords by on 3rd July, 2018 1 Comment

We are encouraging landlords to respond to this consultation.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are seeking views and comments on overcoming the barriers to landlords offering longer tenancies in the private rented sector (PRS).

The government is committed to increasing security for tenants in the private rented sector while balancing landlords’ needs to regain their properties when their circumstances change.

This consultation invites views and comments on the benefits and barriers of landlords offering longer tenancies. We are also seeking views on our proposed model for a 3 year tenancy with a 6 month break clause, and the options for implementing this. The model is designed to give tenants certainty over rents, and retains the flexibility that many desire. There will be some exemptions, for example landlords serving the student sector.

The view of the ALL Wessex Committee is:

  • Longer fixed terms should not be enforced unless the section 8 eviction process is review and stream lined. Landlords must be able to obtain possession of their properties from tenants in breach of the terms of their AST within more acceptable timescales and at a lower cost.
  • Local authorities must be regulated to ensure their adherence to the Department of Communities and Local Government’s “Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities”, i.e. the tenant is offered alternative accommodation on expiry of the notice to prevent the need for landlords to take court action.
  • We are not aware of any great demand for longer term tenancies as implied.
  • The notice to terminate term for landlords should be the same as for tenants (two months).
  • Section 24 refund should not be used as a means to lever acceptance of longer term AST’s.  Section 24 needs to remain ring fenced to ease any chance of it’s future withdrawal. Also, this proposal would only work for landlords with mortgages on a higher income. There is acceptance that landlords with mortgages and higher income may find relief from section 24 as proposed attractive.        

The consultation documents can be found by clicking here:

This consultation closes at 

 

About the Author ()

Rob Crawford is the chairman of the Association of Local Landlords (Wessex). Rob is a practicing landlord with a property portfolio that includes small private residential properties and HMO's. Rob is a qualified letting agent and former owner of Kingfisher Lettings & Management. He is now a share holder of the successful online lettings company Lettingsupermarket.com.

Comments (1)

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  1. Anne says:

    What happens if the tenant proves to be a bad one and he has a tenancy of three years. Does the Landlord have the expense of moving him through the Courts? We give six month tenancies to check that all is well and then they are welcome to stay until they give Notice. What is wrong with that?

    The BBC 12.15 programme allowed only tenants to talk, that is biased and the BBC are not being fair all the time.

    We bought houses with our savings for our pensions. Why should the government use our houses for their own means?

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