“If victims of abuse want to get out of this ‘tenant trap’ they will need to go through the courts to do it, putting the onus on survivors to fight to be free of tenancies causing them direct harm. This is completely unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen.”
The group added that the government is exploring exemptions so that renters can get out of tenancies if they have been mis-sold the property or faced domestic abuse.
But DAHA argued the exemption will be useless as it will take tenants too long to go through the courts to escape their tenancy.
“It is also extremely expensive and time consuming for people to use the courts – time and money that many renters, especially victims of abuse, simply do not have,” the DAHA spokesperson added.
Housing secretary Michael Gove has promised that no-fault evictions will be scrapped by the general election despite citing the need for court reforms to be completed first.
Another amendment to the bill would see no-fault evictions only axed for new tenancies when the bill comes into law with the practice still allowed for existing tenancies until promised court reforms are delivered.
The Renters Reform Bill also faces a race against time to make it into law. Next week’s third reading is the final stage before completing its passage through the House of Commons but the bill still needs to face scrutiny in the House of Lords before it can achieve royal assent.
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We are absolutely committed to the Renters (Reform) Bill, which will have its remaining stages in the House of Commons next week.
“This bill will abolish Section 21 evictions and deliver a fairer rented sector for tenants and landlords. We will continue to work across the sector to ensure it passes into law as soon as possible.”
They added: “We know there will be sensitive or unexpected situations for some tenants and that is why we are looking at exemptions to the six-months’ requirement in certain circumstances, including domestic abuse.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said the amendments the government is proposing “strikes the balance” between landlord and tenant needs.
“Our focus has been on ensuring that when section 21 repossessions end, the replacement system works and is fair, to both tenants and responsible landlords,” said Beadle.
“Tenants should rightly be empowered to hold rogue and criminal landlords to account to root out the minority who bring the sector into disrepute. However, it is vital that the majority of responsible landlords have confidence in the bill to provide the homes for rent the country needs. The amendments proposed by the government strike that balance.
“It is now important to provide certainty to the market, so it can transition smoothly to the new system. We therefore call on MPs to ensure swift passage of the bill through Parliament with the government’s planned changes. This should be underpinned by action to improve the justice system for renters and landlords alike.”
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