By Samantha Knight

The Prime Minister said the Government may introduce “fixed period” tenancies to ensure new social housing tenants can be evicted if their circumstances improve. People who are given council houses are currently awarded an indefinite “secure tenancy” if they successfully complete a 12-month trial tenancy. This means they can only be evicted through the courts if they fail to pay rent, cause serious problems for their neighbours or in other exceptional circumstances. If they die, their secure tenancy can be passed on to a partner or child. Mr Cameron said the current rules meant that people in more severe need of housing were being kept on council waiting lists while some tenants’ situations got better.

Controversial statement:

“At the moment we have a system very much where, if you get a council house or an affordable house, it is yours forever … And actually it ought to be about need,” Mr Cameron told a public forum in Birmingham. His comments came in response to a mother of two teenagers, who told him she slept on a blow-up bed for two years because her council could not find her a bigger house. Your need has got greater,” Mr Cameron told her, “and yet there isn’t really the opportunity to move.

“There is a question mark about whether, in future, should we be asking, actually, when you are given a council home, is it for fixed period, because maybe in five or 10 years you will be doing a different job and be better paid and you won’t need that home, you will be able to go into the private sector.” A total of 1.8 million families are currently on waiting lists for council housing. The Government advises local authorities on how they should ration properties but councils also use their own criteria,

Changes will be difficult.

Local families living in cramped conditions and people who are homeless or have medical conditions being made worse by their houses are usually prioritised. Only some local authorities consider the income of applicants. It is thought councils and housing associations would be left to decide how long local fixed-term tenancies would last. Mr Cameron conceded that an attempt to reform the system would cause “a big argument” but was necessary. “Looking at a more flexible system I think makes sense,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that any changes would not, however, apply to people already in social housing. The Conservatives pledged in their general election manifesto to protect the rights of existing tenants. All good news for private landlords, making investing in rental property with affordable rents a safe bet.  If the Prime Ministers plans go ahead, we will have a queue of tenants now in need of private rental properties.

2 Thoughts on “Property Landlord Advice: Private Rental sector gets Government boost.

  1. hi, new to the site, thanks.

  2. micle06 on August 18, 2011 at 2:08 pm said:

    Private letting sector is also taking this opportunity to launch its strategy for the private lettings sector – Building Sound Foundations. The strategy will provide a platform to encourage and develop a private rented sector which is fit for purpose in our ever changing social and economic environment.

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