News
Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities NEWSLETTER
Wednesday 19th January 2022
Government
Dear colleagues,
Happy New Year. We are delighted to able to send you the second edition of our private rented sector newsletter.
No doubt you will have seen that our department has had some significant changes since we last wrote to you. Following the appointment of the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP as our new Secretary of State, we are now the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities. The new Department has taken on responsibility for the Union, elections and levelling up in addition to our previous remit.
Much has happened in the Private Rented Sector over the past 6 months. The continuing success of the vaccine programme has meant that the emergency measures that were put in place to support renters have been lifted. From 1st October 2021, notice periods returned to pre-pandemic levels. Bailiffs however, are still not carrying out an eviction if anyone living in the property has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating.
In October 2021, the Government published its Net Zero strategy, which will have implications for the sector, as we look to make homes more energy efficient. The response to the consultation on strengthening Minimum Energy Efficiency standards in privately rented homes to EPC Band C by 2028 will be published soon.
In November 2021 we announced that carbon monoxide alarms must be fitted in social and private rented properties with fixed appliances such as gas boilers or fires.
We have continued with our series of Ministerial Roundtables to help inform our thinking for the forthcoming White Paper which we will publish later this year. Building more time into our policy development will not only allow us to benefit from continued work with the sector but will also allow us to consider carefully the findings of the National Audit Office's review of regulation of the sector which was published in December 2021.
We would like to thank you for your support and ongoing engagement thus far.
Best wishes,
Caroline and Charlotte
£65 Million support package for Renters
Recognising that some private renters have built up rent arrears as a result of the pandemic and that vulnerable households may need additional support, we have provided an additional £65 million of funding through the Homelessness Prevention Grant. This is available to local authorities to reduce the risk of vulnerable households with rent arrears from being evicted and becoming homeless. This sits alongside wider support available for low-income households including Discretionary Housing Payments and the Household Support Fund.
Engagement with the Sector
Since the last newsletter we have held two further roundtables, chaired by our Minister, Eddie Hughes MP, and covering dispute resolution and court reform and standards and enforcement.
Our next roundtable will be held on Wednesday 9th February 2022 and will focus on data, communications, and sequencing of implementing the reforms.
We have also held a number of focus groups with tenants. Many thanks to Generation Rent for helping to facilitate these discussions.
We will also be holding focus groups with landlords which the NRLA are helping us to facilitate. We are keen to hear directly from tenants and landlords who use the private rented sector, if you have ideas of how we can reach these groups then please do get in touch with us at
prsstrategyandengagement@communities.gov.uk.
Court User Guidance on Possession Process
We have created guidance for landlords and tenants in the private and social rented sectors to explain the possession action process in the county courts in England and Wales. As well as helping landlords understand how the possession action process works and the new arrangements which will be in place when the possession ends, it also aims to assist tenants who have been served with a notice requiring or seeking possession.
It also contains advice to help tenants and private landlords to resolve common disputes in tenancies, such as rent arrears and anti-social behaviour, without the matter needing to go to court. We are keen for the guidance to be advertised to as many landlords, tenants and agents, so please do circulate it to your contacts.
Selective Licensing - are you thinking about applying for a larger scheme?
In order to support local authorities submitting a selective licensing application requiring approval from the Secretary of State, we have developed an application form with supporting guidance notes.
If you are considering a scheme(s) that will require Secretary of State approval we would ask you to get in touch with us as soon as possible. We can assist and provide you with the application form and supporting guidance notes.
Please contact the team at: selectivelicensing@communities.gov.uk.
Ventilation Guidance
Rt Hon Christopher Pincher, Minister for Housing, recently wrote to all local authorities in England to summarise ventilation guidance and encourage behaviours by landlords and residents to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in residential settings.
Over the coming months we will continue to be developing the White Paper and engage with stakeholders to help inform our thinking. As restrictions ease, we are also keen to meet with stakeholders so if you have any projects we should visit please do get in touch.