Activists are complaining that tenants cannot challenge rent rises free of charge once the Renters Rights Act (RRA) kicks in.
The Renters Right Coalition has written to housing minister Matthew Pennycook arguing against a fee having to be paid to access rent tribunals.
The coalition – which includes Generation Rent, Shelter and the National Union of Students within its coalition – says that under the Act, tribunals will be the only way tenants can challenge rent rises.
In a story in the Mirror newspaper, a poll of tenants undertaken by Generation Rent is reported to suggest that fees would discourage renters from challenging a steep rent increase.
Apparently nine in 10 of those surveyed said they would challenge the increase if tribunals were free, but only half said they would still do so if forced to pay a fee of £200.
A Renters Reform Coalition spokesperson is quoted as saying: “This government promised that they would protect renters from no fault evictions, and ’empower renters’ to challenge unfair rent increases.
“Introducing a fee that tenants will have to pay to access rent tribunals would make it easier for rogue landlords to threaten tenants with steep rent hikes, or evict them by raising rents beyond what is affordable.
“And it will be renters on lower incomes – many of whom already struggle to cover bills and afford groceries due to the cost of their rent – who will be least able to afford to challenge an increase, and most exposed to economic eviction.
“These fees risk undermining security for millions of renters, and the most vulnerable of renters in particular, by opening a loophole in the Renters Rights Act – the government must reconsider.”
A government spokesperson tells the Mirror: “We always keep courts and tribunal fees under review and are currently assessing the introduction of fees in line with practice across the courts and tribunals.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today