The government is under mounting pressure to consider doing more to protect tenants from the threat of eviction during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as introduce a 'rent holiday' for those who are unable to work and struggling to pay their bills at this time.
An online petition calling for rents to be suspended to protect tenants from the threat of eviction has reached 100,000 signatures.
A survey by Opinium has found strong support for a rent suspension, with three in four renters, as well as a significant number of landlords, in support.
Acorn, which supports tenants, workers and residents, is urging the housing secretary Robert Jenrick to act after its own petition gained strong support, while the London Renters Union has already written to the minister calling on him to act.
A spokesman for Jenrick’s department, the ministry of housing, communities and local government, said: “We understand that the Covid-19 outbreak has left many facing uncertainty and feeling worried. Emergency legislation and the suspension of housing possession action means that no tenant in either a social or private rented home will be forced out.”
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Question:- would you like to live in your property free of charge?
Answer:- yes please!
Surveyor:- quick, publish the results, gov are so anti landlords that they will believe it!
The government could lead by example by stopping all collection of council tax, business rates, vat and income tax, come on lets be signing that petition to force the government to act.
Yeah - and they could stop the payment of income tax on my state pension as well then perhaps I could afford to reduce the rent a little for my tenants. As usual landlords expected to take all of the hits.
The Government have taken enough money from Landlords over the last five years, Section 24, Stamp Duty etc, if these renters organisations want a holiday, let the Goverment guarantee the rent!
and yet I've offered a currently vacant property to my local Council HA to provide temporary accommodation for the homeless. Guess what? ... no reply from them!
Hot potato for HMG it will no doubt continue to avoid. Advising or condoning the breach of contractual arrangements between tenants and landlords will have their lawyers having kittens. Lenders likewise would be far from amused at the prospect of increased mortgage arrears especially when most seem reluctant to give a payment holiday, and an inevitable increase in repossessions where some landlords simply could not afford to take the hit. Unless some evidence gets on to the front pages of landlords ruthlessly eviciting tenants as Acorn claim COULD happen then I can see them continuing to kick the can down the road.
This is completely irresponsible of Renters’ unions, it will only lead tenants to be in further in debt having to repay rent arrears. We are all aware that just like mortgages it is not a free period just a break and the money still has to be paid, what Renters’ unions should be doing is advising tenants to seek help from Universal credit, Working tax credit, Housing benefits, governments self-employed grants, or anywhere available to avoid escalating debt.
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