Guaranteed for renters - a home fit to live in

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The government aims to ensure a decent home for renters is guaranteed as part of the new Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act. A Private Members? Bill allowing tenants to sue over the condition of their rental properties completed its passage through Parliament just before Christmas and will become law on 21 March.

The new Act makes changes to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and the Building Act 1984. So what does it mean? Well, from the date the new Act comes into force, all landlords in the social and private sectors must ensure that their property is fit for human habitation at the beginning of the tenancy and stays that way ? essentially  guaranteeing that their rented home is fit for purpose. Where this is not the case, tenants will have the right to take legal action for breach of contract on the grounds that the property is unfit to live in. The new Act only applies to tenancies in England. The Welsh Government has already included similar rights for tenants in the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

The Residential Landlords Association and National Association of Landlords are backing the changes set out in the new Act but some individual landlords are not so keen. They are worried that the new law could mean tenants refusing to pay rent until the freeholder carries out repairs, etc. leading to landlords getting caught up in costly litigation while rogue tenants are given free rein to cause damage.

A simple way to get around this issue is to carry out regular inspections and ensure tenants sign these off every time. Any damage caused can then be noted and a paper trail created that can be used by both sides to prove that what should have been actioned has been done and the tenant charged for repairs where appropriate.

In fact, where not carrying out repairs counts as a breach of contract, tenants have had the right to take their landlord to court since 2015 under the Consumer Rights Act, so that hasn't really changed. What is new though, is that what defines  ?fit for habitation? is now enshrined in law over and above the existing ?hazards? that are listed in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This is already used by local authorities to ensure that rented housing is of an acceptable level. At the end of the day responsible landlords have nothing to fear from the new Act - after all, any property that is let should automatically be guaranteed to be of an acceptable standard.

As part of a bigger package of reforms that tackles housing problems, the government has also announced  a new Housing Complaint Resolution Service. This guarantees protection for homeowners as well as tenants and gives them a single point of contact to sort out disputes over repairs and maintenance. All private landlords must sign up to the new scheme. If they don?t they could face fines of up to to £5,000. A new Home Ombudsman is also on the cards, so watch this space. All good news for renters and flat owners we think.

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02/09/2020
Author : Mary-Anne Bowring

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