Linn Johansson and her husband Matthew Johnson experienced health problems after their landlord failed to fix a leak in their south London flat. Despite promises to inspect the fault, the couple endured being brushed off for a year, until eventually, the landlord suggested that they should move out. The couple were then given an eviction notice when the landlord visited their flat in December last year. Furthermore, they were only one of the 4.6 million households in England who privately rent, so new legislation will detrimentally affect them.
Instead of applying to everyone, the legislation that would enforce landlords to fix hazards, such as damp and mould, within certain timeframes, will only apply to the social rented sector. Emergency work would require completion within 24 hours, with investigations into issues beginning within two weeks in the social rented sector. When receiving the eviction notice, Linn and Matthew were experiencing the grief of a recent miscarriage. They were concerned about the mould in the flat and how it could affect their chances of conceiving again.
Recent calls from MPs have urged for Awaab’s Law to apply to the private rented sector (PRS) after discovering that, compared to the social rented sector, the PRS sector has many more homes in a dangerous condition. The Health and Social Care Committee of the House of Commons found that in the social rented sector, an estimated 0.2% of properties have a damp or mould hazard rated at category one, while around 3.6% of properties in the PRS sector have one. There is hope that Awaab’s Law will apply to the PRS sector, but the government will first need to scrap no-fault evictions so that tenants get a fair deal.
Polly Neate, the chief executive of housing charity Shelter, stated that landlords must have visible timelines helping them deal with disrepair and strict measures if they fail to meet them. Neate believes that no-fault evictions must be abolished before Awaab’s Law can successfully be implemented in the PRS sector, otherwise, tenants may hesitate to complain in case they are kicked out. The Renters (Reform) Bill is supposed to ensure enforceable standards for private rented homes; the bill will introduce a decent homes standard for privately rented homes for the first time. However, the bill’s passage is uncertain, with many MPs wanting to bring about changes for their profit.
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