Oct 6, 2010 0
Councillor welcomes better protection for tenants
Cllr Daisy Benson, Lead Member for Housing on Reading Borough Council has welcomed new rules which mean that tenants will no longer live in fear of being booted out of their home with little or no notice.
Cllr Benson campaigned locally for action on this issue when in opposition, lobbying Reading Borough Council and then housing spokesperson Sarah Teather.
Before today, if a landlord has not been given consent to let out their property from their lender, and later faces repossession action, the tenants could be left vulnerable since the courts were unable to take account of their circumstances and many were placed in the distressing situation of being given very short notice to find a new place to live.
But new rules, coming into force today, mean that tenants will for the first time be able to attend the court hearing, and judges will be able to take their situation into account and delay repossession by up to two months to give them more time to find a new home.
Guidance published today makes clear the rights these tenants have when their landlord faces repossession action, but also sets out the steps lenders must take. These changes come as part of the Mortgage Repossessions (Protection of Tenants etc) Act 2010.
Commenting on the news Cllr Benson said:
“I have long been concerned about the lack of legal protection for tenants living in private rented accommodation who risked eviction through no fault of their own.
“Last year I campaigned locally to raise the profile of this issue and lobbied politicians nationally to take action to help local people.
“I am very pleased MPs have passed new legislation to ensure tenants get a fairer deal and more time to find alternative accommodation if their landlord falls on hard times.”
