Multiple Conservative MPs have publicly spoken out against the Renters’ Reform Bill, which is due to abolish Section 21 evictions.
As The Telegraph reports, there are concerns it could drive landlords out of the market, causing a housing crisis.
Craig Mackinlay, Conservative MP for South Thanet in Kent, said: “The reality is, landlords will abandon the market and we will have a very serious housing crisis on our hands.
“I’m worried about landlords leaving the market, I really am. There’s a huge amount of disquiet about this. From colleagues I’m talking to, they’re not happy. We have seen too much of a war against landlords.”
Meanwhile Marco Longhi, Tory MP for Dudley North, said the bill was “like wielding a hammer to crack a nutshell”.
He said: “It’s a disaster. You will see huge swathes of landlords leave the market, and this has been happening for several months already.
“The government doesn’t realise how much it depends on private sector landlords. These properties landlords are now selling aren’t even affordable for the majority of renters, so where are these people going to go? We should be building cities twice the size of Sheffield to keep up with net migration.”
The Renters’ Reform Bill has been promised since 2019, but abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions has long been controversial, as it would force landlords to provide a reason for evicting a tenant – and potentially going through a long court process to get it done.
However a housing ombudsman designed to resolve disputes has been discussed as one method to ease the pressure on the courts.
If Labour gets into power it vowed to boost up tenant rights, building more social housing and make it easier for first-time buyers to get on the ladder.
