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\n 3 min read23 April
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Conservative MP James Cleverly has revealed that he is being forced out of his rented home in his constituency, blaming government reforms to the rental sector that will take effect next month.<\/p>\n
Speaking to\u00a0PoliticsHome, the\u00a0shadow housing secretary, himself a former landlord, said\u00a0that the Renters’ Rights Act was forcing “good landlords” like his in Essex out of the market.<\/p>\n
The reforms, which ministers describe as the most significant changes to renting brought in by a UK government, include the banning of\u00a0“no-fault” evictions,\u00a0meaning landlords must provide a valid legal reason for eviction, the ending of fixed-term\u00a0contracts, and putting a stop to “bidding wars” which result in tenants paying more than the advertised price.<\/p>\n
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, has called the legislation “the biggest leap forward in renters\u2019 rights in a generation”, saying it is “levelling the playing field between renters and landlords”.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, Cleverly, the Tory MP for Braintree, claimed\u00a0it was forcing landlords nationwide, including his own, to sell their properties, creating a “spate”\u00a0of evictions.<\/p>\n
The former cabinet minister, who told The House magazine he is considering running\u00a0<\/a>for London mayor<\/a>, explained that he rented a property in the northern\u00a0part of his Essex constituency\u00a0after selling his old home of 10 years.<\/p>\n “The key bit of this is the arrogance with which [Labour] approached this process. They just refuse to listen to the points we’re making because it was we who were making those points,” he told PoliticsHome.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, now the people who are suffering are the people who could and should have a decent supply of properties in the private rented sector, and they don’t.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who they claim to want to protect are the very people who are being disadvantaged by this and it didn’t have to be like this. If the Labour Party weren’t so arrogant and unwilling to listen, it wouldn’t be happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Legal advice firm Landlord Action this week reported a sharp rise in landlords asking for help with tenant evictions ahead of the legislation coming into effect on 1 May. “As Section 21 is phased out, landlords are acting now while they still have certainty, because many are not confident in what replaces it,” said Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina.<\/p>\n Critics of the reforms say new costs and regulations facing landlords\u00a0will ultimately result in fewer rental properties,\u00a0which in turn will likely lead to rent going up.<\/p>\n Legislation to reform the rental sector was first\u00a0introduced by the Conservatives when they were last in power, but failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the 2024 general election. Keir Starmer’s Labour went into that election with a manifesto promise to pass a stronger version of the bill, giving tenants more rights.<\/p>\n Reed told PoliticsHome:\u00a0\u201cBanning unfair evictions is the biggest change to renting in a generation and will free families from the misery it has created.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cKicking tenants out before they receive stronger rights is the type of disgraceful behaviour from shameless landlords which our Act will stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no need to evict their tenants ahead of this ban and landlords should give people the housing security they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n A Labour source added:: “The Shadow Housing Secretary will be furious when he finds out who is responsible for allowing no-fault evictions to continue.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It\u2019s his Conservative Party that failed to ban them during their 14 years in office.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Labour in government is putting things right and ending this unfair practice to protect renters from suddenly being thrown out of their homes for no reason.\u00a0If he has changed his views and now agrees with us, he should cross the floor and join Labour.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776994576_548_impression.ashx.png\")
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3 min read23 April
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