Michael Gove has now secured parliamentary time for a second reading of the Rent Reform Bill on Monday 23 October. 

It is then expected to become law in 2024. It seems that pressure from two fronts has been effective. The Guardian reports that this decision follows a letter from the former conservative housing secretary Eric Pickles, together with 60 cross-party parliamentarians and the mayors of London and Manchester.

The Financial Times reports that on Monday a group of 30 charities and non-profit organisations such as Citizens Advice urged the Prime Minister to pass the Bill and he has now agreed to push ahead with it. 

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter claims, “Every day 540 people are slapped with a no-fault eviction notice and given just two months to find a new home. For them, needless delays and hold-ups to making renting safer and fairer are unacceptable.”

With the annual government figures showing there was a 23% increase in people at risk of homelessness because of a section 21 ‘no fault eviction’, the Bill, which will abolish assured shorthold tenancies and s21 notices, is now back on. 

Note though that Michael Gove has pledged that changes would not be introduced until various reforms to the justice system were in place to speed up evictions including the prioritising of anti-social behaviour cases. No sign yet though of what those changes are, or of any consultations, or any extra investment for housing cases in the county courts. It seems we should expect a lot of changes to follow next year.  

Expect more news on timescales and any possible amendments next week.