Agenda item

Tenant Evictions by Private Landlords

It was moved by Councillor Steve Ayris, seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, that this Council:-

(a)       notes that privately-rented housing in Sheffield has more than doubled in size since 2001, with some 35,670 Sheffield households now living in private-rented housing, and that nine million people now live in rented housing in England;

(b)       notes with concern that in England some landlords use legitimate possession powers to evict their tenants for speaking up about bad conditions;

(c)        is alarmed that Shelter estimates that 200,000 tenants have been evicted in these circumstances in the past year;

(d)       is dismayed that Shelter’s research suggests that one in twelve private tenants have avoided asking for repairs in case they are evicted;

(e)       believes that the law needs to be changed to end such evictions, and to give renters back the confidence they need to ask for basic repairs;

(f)        welcomes the Tenancies (Reform) Bill, presented by Liberal Democrat MP, Sarah Teather, which will, if enacted, change the law to stop landlords issuing an eviction notice when the tenant has made a legitimate complaint about conditions;

(g)       notes that the bill will have its second reading on 28^th November 2014;

(h)       therefore expresses its support for the Bill; and

(i)         instructs that a copy of this motion be sent to all Sheffield MPs.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Harry Harpham, seconded by Councillor Tony Damms, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the insertion of a new paragraph (b) as follows, and the re-lettering of all subsequent paragraphs accordingly:-

(b)     condemns the appalling record of the present Government on housing, particularly with regards to social housing, and notes the article in last week’s Independent newspaper entitled ‘Great council house sell-off scandal: Right-to-buy council houses leave nowhere for poor to live’ which stated that “the Government’s new initiative to encourage councils to sell their houses is having a disastrous effect.”

2.         the insertion after the words “Sarah Teather” in original paragraph (f) of the words “and supported by Labour MP, the Rt. Hon. John Healey,”; and

3.         the insertion of a new paragraph (j) as follows, and the re-lettering of the new paragraph (j) as a new paragraph (k):-

(j)      welcomes the actions of the present Administration on private sector housing standards, particularly the Selective Licensing Scheme;

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

(Note: 1. Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted for paragraphs 2 and 3 of the amendment and abstained on paragraph 1, sub- paragraph (b) and asked for this to be recorded.

2. Councillors Pauline Andrews, Jack Clarkson and John Booker voted for paragraph 3, sub-paragraph (j) and voted against paragraphs 1 and 2 of the amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       notes that privately-rented housing in Sheffield has more than doubled in size since 2001, with some 35,670 Sheffield households now living in private-rented housing, and that nine million people now live in rented housing in England;

(b)       condemns the appalling record of the present Government on housing, particularly with regards to social housing, and notes the article in last week’s Independent newspaper entitled ‘Great council house sell-off scandal: Right-to-buy council houses leave nowhere for poor to live’ which stated that “the Government’s new initiative to encourage councils to sell their houses is having a disastrous effect”;

(c)        notes with concern that in England some landlords use legitimate possession powers to evict their tenants for speaking up about bad conditions;

(d)       is alarmed that Shelter estimates that 200,000 tenants have been evicted in these circumstances in the past year;

(e)       is dismayed that Shelter’s research suggests that one in twelve private tenants have avoided asking for repairs in case they are evicted;

(f)        believes that the law needs to be changed to end such evictions, and to give renters back the confidence they need to ask for basic repairs;

(g)       welcomes the Tenancies (Reform) Bill, presented by Liberal Democrat MP, Sarah Teather and supported by Labour MP, the Rt. Hon. John Healey which will, if enacted, change the law to stop landlords issuing an eviction notice when the tenant has made a legitimate complaint about conditions;

(h)       notes that the bill will have its second reading on 28^th November 2014;

(i)         therefore expresses its support for the Bill;

(j)         welcomes the actions of the present Administration on private sector housing standards, particularly the Selective Licensing Scheme; and

(k)        instructs that a copy of this motion be sent to all Sheffield MPs.

(Notes: 1. Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (a), (c) to (i) and (k); and against paragraphs (b) and (j) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.

2. Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted for paragraphs (a) and (c) to (k) and abstained on paragraph (b) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to recorded.)