Generation Rent Calls for Rent Freeze and Eviction Ban
Influential campaigning group calls for all rent rises and evictions to be halted
A campaign group is calling for all rent increases and evictions to be banned until the cost-of-living crisis subsides.
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Campaign group Generation Rent also wants to see a ban on landlords requesting rent upfront.
The group says that some landlords are using this tactic, so they don’t have to openly say ‘no DSS.’ Instead, benefit claimants can’t rent homes from them because they are unable to pay rent upfront.
Generation Rent uses different data sources to strengthen its calls for government action.
These include ONS reports that recently revealed:
- Nearly two-thirds of renters have been finding it difficult to pay energy bills
- Nearly half are spending less on essentials, such as food
Other demands made by Generation Rent
But Generation Rent’s demands didn’t end there. In a bid to deliver a ‘rent revolution’, they also directly tweeted the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and demanded that he:
- Unfreeze the Local Housing Allowance
- Restore Discretionary Housing Payment funding back to 2020-21 levels
- Reinstate the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift
- Prove funds to clear tenants’ rent arrears, on top of the £65 million provided last year.
Director of Generation Rent, Baroness Kennedy said:
Although interest rates are rising, homeowners are able to minimise costs by remortgaging. Renters don’t have the same option: if your landlord thinks they can get a higher rent from a new tenant, there’s not much you can do. If you try to negotiate, your landlord can simply serve a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice. With renters so vulnerable to rent hikes and incomes stagnant, this causes impossible choices between paying rent and putting food on the table.
Baroness Kennedy went on to say that only a suspension of evictions and a rent freeze can save families from spiralling into rent arrears and possible homelessness.
While the huge demand for homes means landlords can up the rent, this is something you should really think about before you approach your tenants. Using our free Expense Tracker can help you figure out exactly how much you need to cover your costs. More rent sounds good, but it could result in a higher tenant turnover as they struggle to make ends meet and look to move to a cheaper area.
It could also eventually result in rent arrears, your only protection against this is landlord’s Rent Guarantee Insurance. Mashroom’s RGI pays out at the first missed or part payment, so you can cover your expenses and work with your tenant to get things back on track.
