It’s Back! Revenge Evictions Debate Resurrected

Although the Bill that would have outlawed retaliatory / revenge evictions was defeated in the House of Commons just a week ago, prompting cheers in the private rented sector as a rare victory for common sense, the measure has, like a serial killer from an 80’s horror film, returned from the dead.

Sarah Teather’s original proposal has been effectively repackaged as an amendment to the Deregulation Bill, which is currently doing the rounds in Westminster. Four members of the House of Lords are responsible for bringing it back. The measure had substantial cross-party support, and is expected to do better next time.

The amendment would prevent landlords from evicting a tenant for “no reason” within six months of a tenant requesting repairs or improvement to the property.

The Residential Landlords Association, who were very vocal in their condemnation of the previous bill, have responded to the announcement, saying, “An amendment to the Deregulations Bill on retaliatory evictions would put an impossible burden on councils and be ineffective in practice.”

The Bill will likely be debated around mid-January, after the Christmas recess.

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