At City Rental Services we closely monitor and report back to our Bristol property landlords on issues and hot topics which could affect them and their property portfolios in Bristol.
And one of the biggest potential issues in recent months is the Right to Rent legislation currently being discussed across the country.
From keeping an eye on latest commentary and industry articles on the topic, it appears that the Right to Rent debate is going to continue for some time.
Recent updates to the Right to Rent that Bristol property landlords need to be aware of include:
A new criminal offence –
This is expected to focus on repeat offenders and organised crime, carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. It’s also anticipated that only those failing to complete checks and end tenancies when instructed to by the Home Office should find themselves on the wrong side of the Law on this.
A new possession –
The Home Office has agreed that landlords need effective means of ending tenancies where a tenant is found not to have the Right to Rent. There will most likely be an amendment to the Housing Act 1988 to incorporate this.
A legal Home Office notice –
This will be a means to bring a tenancy to an end, where the Home Office determines the tenant doesn’t have a Right to Rent. This will involve the Home Office, not the landlord, serving notice to the tenant – subsequently, landlords will be able to service a notice on the tenant ending the tenancy.
There will be further minor amendments to existing Law on some of these points, to allow for concerns landlords have been voicing regarding the additional cost burden around removing tenants without a Right to Rent.
For example, it won’t be necessary to obtain a court order for possession, as the tenancy will no longer be an Assured Shorthold Tenancy with the new rues in place – although landlords may still elect to use court bailiffs to carry out an eviction where it is necessary.
This should serve to reassure Bristol landlords that the costs of evicting tenants without a Right to Rent will be minimised wherever possible by evolving legislation around this difficult and controversial area.
To find out more about our letting agency services in Bristol, simply call into 58 Gloucester Road to see us.
