Liz Truss’s government has been accused of betraying renters over plans that could see a promised ban on no-fault evictions ditched and affordable home requirements dropped.
Labour and housing campaigners were quick to hit out at a report detailing Tory plans to drastically reform housing regulations.
One of the most eye-catching proposals would see some developers handed an exemption from building affordable homes, as well as plans to scrap some environmental protections, according to The Times.
The paper also reported that expected legislation prepared by former levelling up secretary Michael Gove to ban no-fault evictions could be shelved.
Matthew Pennycook, Labour’s shadow housing minister, accused the prime minister of “betraying” private renters. Crisis described the prospect of a U-turn on evictons as a “truly devastating blow”.
Matt Downie, chief executive of the housing charity said: “How can it be right that stopping needless and no-fault evictions is not a priority? This U-turn betrays an electoral promise, and spells disaster.”
Osama Bhutta, campaigns director at Shelter, said a U-turn on the promise to ban no-fault evictions will “pour fuel on the housing emergency and make thousands homeless”. He added: “The prime minister has no mandate to shred manifesto commitments and turn her back on 11 million private renters.”
The 2019 Conservative manifesto promised to abolish no-fault evictions, where a landlord can end a tenancy without giving a reason.
The move would be the latest sign that Liz Truss wants to push on with her own policy agenda, despite the toxic political atmosphere facing the new PM after her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget backfired.
New levelling up secretary Simon Clarke, a close ally of Ms Truss, is said to have written to the prime minister with a set of proposals intended to boost house-building and her desire for economic growth.
The paper said that a key measure of such a set of proposals would be a rise in the threshold at which affordable homes are required to be built in housing developments.
Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy tweeted on Monday: “They crashed the economy. It led to soaring mortgage rates, rents, energy bills and food prices. Their answer is less affordable housing.”
One Tory source told ITV that any plan to shelve legislation to stop no-fault evictions would be opposed by Ms Truss’s own MPs.
“This would be another betrayal of our 2019 voters, and the PM has no mandate for it. The parliamentary party will not wear it. She is on borrowed time,” they said.
Green MP Caroline Lucas tweeted: “It just keeps getting worse. On what planet is slashing the number of affordable homes, reversing proposed ban on no-fault evictions and trashing environmental protections a rational answer?”
Downing Street said that no decisions have yet been made on whether to proceed with the ban on no-fault evictions.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “This is something the secretary of state is considering in terms of how to improve the rental market. Clearly, ensuring a fair deal for renters will always remain a priority for this government.”
