- Conference
- 2023 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 14 February 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that more and more of our members are forced to live in the Private Rented Sector due to the unaffordability of home-ownership and inaccessibility and lack of affordable social housing.
This is due to failed housing policies, austerity and government cuts. This problem is exacerbated by the increasing number of properties that are lost in the market as Second Homes and Airbnb use. The Right to Buy policy has also led to the loss of social rented properties, through sales, which end up as expensive rentals in the poorly regulated Private Rented Sector.
Private renters face high rents, poor quality housing and insecurity, as well as the threat of eviction hanging over their heads. Private landlords can evict private tenants without giving them a reason by simply issuing a two-month notice after their fixed term tenancy ends under Section 21 no-fault evictions, and renters have limited protections and less power to fight against this.
Our members deserve the right to a decent and affordable home, and improved rights and protections to make renting more secure and stable.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to work with appropriate bodies, including Generation Rent to:
1)Continue to campaign for Section 21 no-fault evictions to be abolished to protect tenants from unfair, unnecessary evictions;
2)Campaign for the introduction of new legislation to create secure, permanent tenancies in line with Scotland;
3)Campaign for a fair rent system or rent controls to protect private tenants from unpredictable, extortionate rent increases;
4)Campaign for all councils to be allowed to introduce borough wide licensing schemes setting out minimum standards of landlord accreditation to deter rogue landlords and drive up standards in private renting;
5)Call for councils to be supported with adequate funding to increase staffing levels in environmental health, trading standards, tenancy relations and other roles, which are needed to provide effective regulation and enforcement in the Private Rented Sector;
6)Campaign for significant investment in council and social rented homes and an end to the Right to Buy in England, in line with Scotland and Wales, to increase the supply of housing, help make housing more affordable and to provide alternative accommodation for private renters;
7)Campaign for legislation to deter more owners from taking up Second Homes and converting rental properties into Airbnb’s;
8)Affiliate to Generation Rent and publicise its campaigns to our members.
