The government’s proposals for reform of the English private rental market are finally here, & it’s bad news for the assured shorthold tenancy: Daniel Bacon considers what this means for the sector
- The Renters (Reform) Bill, if enacted, will arguably mark the end of freedom of contract in the private rental sector.
- At precisely the time when reliance on the services of this sector is greatest, the Bill proposes to abolish the innovations that made the expansion of this sector possible.
- We should expect an accelerated exit by some landlords from this sector.
The Renters (Reform) Bill is finally here after five years in the making. The Bill proposes a root-and-stem overhaul of the English rental market, not only abolishing the much-maligned ‘no-fault’ s 21 eviction procedure, but also (as an almost inevitable consequence) abolishing in its entirety the assured shorthold tenancy (AST). As per the proposals, no longer will we be able to enter, for example, a private contract for a year-long tenancy; instead, all tenancies will be automatically indefinite, to be ended
