Following the announcement on Wednesday 22 May that the General Election (or ‘Genny Lec’ as it can be affectionately called) will take place on 4 July, Parliament has been formally dissolved today (30 May 2024). 

In the short period between announcement and dissolution, there was very limited time for parliament to consider the very significant number of proposed bills and it was inevitable that some would not be able to progress. 

Whilst the general election was expected at some point this year, those in the housing sector may be disappointed that key bills and secondary legislation including the Renters (Reform) Bill and the consultation on Awaab’s law have effectively been put on pause with their future being unclear. 

It wasn’t all bad news for the sector however with the Leasehold and Freehold Bill being one of the last ones to pass. 

Where does this leave Awaab’s Law?

Many will know that in January 2024, the Government launched its consultation on its proposals for the implementation of Awwab’s Law which closed in March. We spoke to many of those in the sector who could be affected by the current proposal. See Suzanne Gregson’s fantastic blog on the topic. 

It was clear that whilst the sector welcomed Awaab’s law in principle, there were issues with the implementation which needed to be addressed.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are in support of Awaab’s law and are proponents of extending the current proposal to the private rented sector.  It will be interesting to see whether Awaab’s Law becomes a key election point and what the respective parties’ manifestos have to say about the issue. 

As Parliament has been dissolved, the implementation of Awaab’s law will not go any further and it remains to be seen what will happen when the new government is announced.

The question of what Awaab’s Law will look like in practice will remain unanswered for some time, but I suspect it will be a priority of the new government to ensure it is progressed as quickly as possible. 

Landlords should continue to carry out their repairing obligation, and if access is refused, action should be taken to enforce the terms of the tenancy. 

What about the Renters (Reform) Bill?

The general election has thrown a metaphorical spanner in the works in the progress of this bill. The Bill was close to reaching its third reading in the House of Lords and was inching ever closer to becoming law. 

The proposals made several key changes including those to grounds of possession and most significantly the abolition of section 21 which is further detailed in a series of e-briefings by Helen Tucker, Emma Hardman and Penny Bournes. 

Whilst there is disagreement between the parties on what reform looks like, it is clear that all parties are keen to address the issue in the future. Whether the proposed bill will be picked up or scrapped remains to be seen.  

Housing issues are likely to be a battleground for all the political parties seeking election on 4 July and it will certainly be interesting to see how matters develop, even if we will be waiting a little while longer for further legislative change.  

Watch this space for further updates on how matters progress.