Local authorities will require more staff and funding to enforce the Government’s proposed ban on no-fault evictions in England, the Local Government Authority (LGA) has said.
The Renters’ (Reform) Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in May this year, includes new legislation to stop landlords evicting tenants without justification. The Bill would make councils responsible for enforcing this.
A spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA) said: ‘We are pleased at the long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill, which will help to deliver a fairer, more secure and higher quality private rented sector (PRS).
‘However, there are concerns that the bill places significant new regulatory and enforcement responsibilities on councils. Many councils are already struggling to resource their enforcement teams to undertake the scale of proactive work that is needed in the PRS due to reductions in local government funding and wider financial pressures.
‘We urge Government to conduct a realistic assessment of the resources councils need to regulate the PRS effectively, and provide them with adequate new burdens funding accordingly.’
The Government has said that it would ‘fully fund’ any additional costs to councils.
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: ‘Our Renters Reform Bill will deliver a fairer deal for renters, ensuring tenants are protected through our commitment to ban “no fault” evictions.
‘We will continue to support councils financially so they have the right resources to put tenants first, that includes fully funding any additional costs that may fall on councils as a result of our proposed reforms.’
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