This week in politics: Raising your concerns with the housing minister
NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle has taken landlord concerns right to the top, discussing the timetable for change with housing minister Matthew Pennycook this week.
Love it or loathe it, The Renters’ Right Bill is coming, and this week I asked housing minister Matthew Pennycook to share details on the timeline for change.
I was talking to the minister at an exclusive stakeholder reception organised by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner on Wednesday.
The NRLA was the only landlord and agents’ body invited to the event at the Home Office, which gave me the perfect opportunity for a discussion with Matthew Pennycook, the man responsible for pushing this legislation forward.
The minister said landlords have nothing to fear from the Renters’ Rights Bill and gave me his personal assurance that the Government will be engaging with us even more as we get closer to its finalisation.
So far, the Government has been tight-lipped on exactly when the new rules will come into force, although there has now been confirmation the Bill will be returning to the Commons (provisionally) on 8th September, meaning Royal Assent could happen before the party conference season recess on the 16th.
I pressed the minister on the need for clarity around the timelines for implementation to help you prepare for the changes ahead. At present, we don’t expect confirmation of this until Royal Assent.
While the minister was not forthcoming when it comes to dates, I do believe we are making ourselves heard when it comes to the importance of improved transparency. And we will continue to press hard on a reasonable timeframe for transition to the new rules.
Confidence
I explained that landlord confidence is taking a hit as a result of the uncertainty, which could have a catastrophic impact on supply – making it clear that we at the NRLA are committed to supporting you, our members, through this period of great change.
However, I also made it clear that we need to know timelines as early as we can to make the changeover as seamless as possible, for both landlords and tenants.
I will continue to talk to the minister and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to push for clarity, and will keep you updated on our news pages and social media channels.
Roundtable
Elsewhere I joined a plethora of high-level policy, academia, business, and housing sector experts on Thursday for the Future of Cities Breakfast Roundtable.
The event focussed not just on the Government’s ambitious housebuilding targets, but also invited myself, and other industry experts, to discuss how we can create liveable, inclusive, and economically vibrant cities.
While sadly discussions were subject to the Chatham House Rule, which demands I can’t go into detail, what I can say is that there were some household names in attendance for what turned out to be a fascinating discussion on how housing strategy can dovetail with national ambition and local priorities to deliver places that thrive.
It promises to busy summer – and autumn for all of us – and we will continue to keep you updated on all the work we are doing on your behalf throughout this period and beyond.
More information
- Extra dates have been added for our new Renters’ Rights course, after training sessions sold out in record time. For more information and to book click here.
- We have also added a new eLearning option for the Renters’ Rights course, allowing you to take the training at a time and place to suit you. For more information and to book click here.
Photo credit: Matthew Pennycook ©House of Commons
