Housing Charity, Shelter, is calling for tenancy contracts to be improved in order to offer families with children more stability in their home life. The charity says that 10% of children living in rental accommodation have been forced to change schools because their family has had to move home. And with 3.8 million families living in rental accommodation, this represents an awful lot of children dealing with the upheaval of disrupted education.
Greater stability
Shelter is calling for a minimum term of 5 years for renters, during which time the landlord cannot evict them unless they have a very good reason (for example, non payment of rent). The charity also wants rents to be guaranteed for the same period. Under the current rules, tenants are protected from unfair evictions and rent rises, and the property must be in good repair.
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of the charity, says:
“Making tenancy contracts more stable could improve the lives of children across the country by giving families more stability in their homes, and would give landlords a more predictable income.”
RLA dismisses Shelter claims
The RLA has described Shelter’s claims as “scaremongering”. It says that research has shown that in most cases it is the tenant who decides to move through their own volition rather than because they have been asked to leave by the landlord. It also points out that most landlords prefer to retain tenants who pay their rent on time and look after the property.
RLA Policy Director, Richard Jones commented:
“The RLA condemns the scaremongering that Shelter is engaged in. Whilst we agree that a small minority of landlords ruin the lives of tenants and should be banned from renting property, the reality is that the ma
