The Liberal Democrats have given their full support to ACORN’s Bristol Ethical Lettings Charter, which follows on from action taken by Stephen Williams MP in government to outlaw revenge evictions in the sector.
Liberal Democrat Councillors will be voting in favour of a motion to be presented at Full Council on Tuesday 17th March to endorse the ACORN Bristol Ethical Lettings Charter. The Charter’s aim is to help create a fair, professional and ethical private rental sector. Group Leader Cllr Gary Hopkins has submitted a statement and will speak at the meeting about his desire to reform the private rental sector to help both landlords and tenants in the city.
Earlier this year Stephen Williams MP announced measures giving tenants greater protection against rogue landlords. These measures to outlaw revenge evictions are part of the Deregulation Bill currently going through Parliament.
Cllr Gary Hopkins said:
Cllr Gary Hopkins
“I welcome and endorse the ACORN Bristol Ethical Lettings Charter. If we are to fix the housing crisis, a reformed private rented sector must play its part. We should not have a situation where people, some on low incomes, are living in below standard accommodation when we can do something about it.
“As Liberal Democrats, our focus has been to problems in the private rental sector by giving more power and control to those who have least. During the previous Lib Dem administration the city became an exemplar of putting tenants first. Our decision to introduce a licensing scheme for private landlords has helped the Council deal with bad landlords and help keep standards up in the sector. I’m also really pleased of the progress we have achieved in ending revenge eviction thanks to Stephen Williams MP. However, it is a shame that so many housing projects have stalled since the Mayor took office.
“There is always more work to be done and we need to ensure that all rented accommodation (private, social, co-operative, lodging or council) meets the basic standards of service and quality that everyone deserves. The Charter is a small but significant step forward for further protecting tenants against bad landlords.”
Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West Stephen Williams added:
Stephen Williams MP
“Our private rental sector is a vital asset, providing a home to 9 million people across the country. In the Bristol West constituency, over 40% of people live in the private rental sector (the 2nd highest in the UK), so I’m determined to root out the minority of rogue landlords that give it a bad name.
“ACORN’s charter has my full support – it is an innovative step that provides security for tenants by highlighting the best letting agencies and landlords. It also builds on what we have been able to achieve in government. We are working to end revenge evictions and to ensure transparency in letting agency fees, having already legislated for minimum energy efficiency standards and the same right of access to a housing ombudsman as social tenants.”
