Stephen Morgan MP has backed Labour’s plan to overhaul the private rented sector, which will benefit an estimated 3 in 10 households who rent their homes in Portsmouth.
It comes following disappointment that the introduction of the Government’s Renting Reform Bill, after four years of delay, does not go far enough to promote and protect the rights of tenants, nor hold rogue landlords accountable for poor practices.
Tenants in Portsmouth and across the country are suffering under a private rental sector described as the ‘wild west’, with tenants being held ransom by landlords as rents spiral and demand outweighs supply.
Reports of the rental crisis have ranged from tenants being forced to live with damp and mould due to landlord inaction, to soaring price increases and threats of eviction.
Shelter previously warned renters could not wait any longer for government action, with ever-increasing numbers of landlords removing tenants under Section 21 no fault evictions.
Newly released data from the Ministry of Justice showed 109 claims to repossess property were lodged by mortgage lenders and landlords in Portsmouth from October 2022 to December 2022 alone.
Labour has committed to going further on rental reform, giving tenants more choice and control over their homes through the introduction of a Renters Charter.
A white paper to make renting fairer, more secure and more affordable would be published within the first 100 days.
The Renters Charter will introduce a four-month notice period for landlords, a national register of landlords, in addition to a host of new rights for tenants, including the right to make alterations to your home, to request speedy repairs, and to have pets.
Standing up for renters in Portsmouth, Stephen Morgan MP said:
“Renters in Portsmouth are crying out for change. Yet after years of delay and broken promises, they are met with a Government Bill that lacks the ambition and teeth to tackle the crisis head on.
That’s why I’m backing Labour’s plan to introduce a Renters Charter, which will finally tilt the balance of power towards tenants with new rights and protections for renters.”
Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Housing Secretary, responding to the introduction of the Renter’s Reform Bill, said:
“The government first promised reform for tenants in the private rented sector over four years ago. But after years of delay, broken promises and arguments amongst themselves, the private rented sector increasingly resembles the wild west and it’s far from clear that this government can deliver.
Labour’s Renters’ Charter will take real action to make renting fairer, more secure and more affordable. If the government hasn’t finally delivered on the long overdue abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions, Labour will”
Mr Morgan will continue to stand up for the rights of tenants in Portsmouth, by meeting with constituents and housing organisations, working closely with housing providers to address concerns, and lobbying Ministers in Parliament to strengthen the Renters Reform Bill.
