The government made an announcement yesterday regarding a new code of conduct
for landlords and tenants. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in
Manchester, Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, unveiled the new ‘Tenants’
Charter’.
Raising Standards in the Private Sector
The Tenants’ Charter has been designed to encourage long-term, family friendly
tenancies in the private rental sector. Mr Pickles believes that the new
government reforms will help tenants get a better deal when renting a home in
the private sector. A model tenancy agreement has been drawn up to help
landlords, which is designed to set a benchmark within the industry.
What’s Included in the Tenant’s Charter?
Tenants can request a longer tenancy as long as the landlord agrees. The new
tenancy agreements will include a probation period and break clauses so both
parties have the option to end the tenancy early. This will help reduce costs:
landlords won’t have to pay letting agents for renewing contracts as
frequently. The Tenants’ Charter will also give tenants better information
about their tenancies and where to go if something goes wrong.
Helping Hard Working People in the UK
Mr Pickles says the new initiatives will help hard working families budget
better for the cost of living, as well as ridding the sector of rogue
landlords.
“The last thing we want to do is hurt hard-working tenants by increasing costs
and strangling the sector with red tape. But families deserve stability for
their children, and all tenants deserve a good and transparent service from
their landlords and lettings agents.”
