The Renters Rights Bill
Another key piece of legislation that has returned to Parliament this month is the Renters’ Rights Bill. The Bill aims to reform the regulation around the private rented sector and is intended to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes. Significant provisions are:
Abolishing of section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and reforming the grounds for possession.
Strengthening tenants’ rights; for example, the right to challenge above-market rent increases and the right to request to keep a pet
Introducing a new ombudsman service and private rented sector database
Strengthening enforcement powers for local authorities
Broadly speaking my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I welcome many elements of this Bill and we have long called for the abolition of Section 21, no-fault evictions. The dire condition of some private rented homes needs to be taken much more seriously, and my colleagues and I have called on the Government to urgently invest in insulating homes to improve their energy efficiency. It is disgraceful that homes in the UK are among the least energy-efficient in Europe, meaning that too many tenants are living in housing which is making them ill and fuel poverty is unacceptably high.
My specific priority on this Bill however has been pushing the Government to give our servicemen and women the quality of life they deserve by applying the decent home standard to military accommodation. There are many MoD facilities in our constituency, and I as well as my Parliamentary colleagues have had conversations with countless personnel about the disgraceful conditions many of them are forced to live in.
Those who serve in our Armed Forces deserve the upmost respect and courtesy and they should never be made to feel as if their sacrifice is not properly valued and appreciated. At a time where our national security is becoming an ever more vital concern, I believe that we should provide the very best for those who are willing to lay down their lives to protect the nation. Whether this means providing adequate weaponry, training, meals or accommodation our soldiers deserve the best we can provide, not the best we can scrounge up.
I will continue to engage with the Government on this issue as Parliament carries on scrutiny of this Bill and I hope they will see the sense in treating our Armed Forces with the respect they deserve.