LATEST: What could tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech hold for landlords?

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Tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech is set to contain a raft of property-related legislation including at least a reference to the highly anticipated Renters’ Reform Bill.

Empty properties

Landlords will be forced to rent out empty shops and retail units under a new Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, giving local authorities powers to take control of empty buildings through tougher compulsory purchase orders.

It could also allow councils to double council tax for owners of second homes if they don’t rent them out for at least 70 days. Other homes simply left empty could see the standard council tax rate doubled after 12 months – as opposed to the current two years.

Planning

Following comments by Housing Secretary Michael Gove, a new Planning Bill could include policies aimed at ‘gentle densification’, giving residents a say on drawing up local design codes for housing developments using ‘street votes’. Gove has also expressed his support for streamlining building procedures for brownfield land.

Rogue landlords

Almost two years after the government’s social housing white paper was published, the Queen’s Speech is expected to include a Social Housing Reform Bill aimed at driving up safety standards, data collection and increasing accountability for rogue landlords by naming and shaming those who perform poorly.

Leasehold reform

A Leasehold/Commonhold Reform Bill is also expected to be included, as the Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Lord Greenhalgh, announced last summer that a “second tranche of reforms” following the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill would come in the third session of Parliament.

Renting reform

While the Renters’ Reform Bill falls under the category of ‘bills announced but not yet introduced’ and was announced last year but was not taken forward, it’s expected that it will at least be referenced in tomorrow’s speech as the white paper is due to be released in spring 2022.

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