Sir James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, is being evicted from his home in Braintree, Essex, after his landlord decided to sell the property ahead of Labour's new renters' rights reforms. The Conservative MP received notice to vacate his rented home following the enactment of the Renters' Rights Act, which abolished no-fault evictions and introduced greater protections for tenants.
Details of the Renters' Rights Act
Passed in October, the legislation requires landlords to provide a legal reason to end a tenancy and give tenants four months' notice if they intend to sell, up from the previous two months. Landlords now face an average 27-week wait for a possession order from the courts, according to government data. The act also limits rent increases and grants tenants more rights to keep pets.
Impact on Landlords and Tenants
Sir James told Inside Housing magazine that his experience is being "replicated thousands of times across the country." He argued that the private rented sector is "basically being regulated out of existence by this government." The renters' union Acorn reported that no-fault evictions rose from one in five reports in October to nearly one in three by January.
Sir James, who previously served as a cabinet minister and was once a landlord himself, warned that Labour's reforms are counterproductive. "This arrogant Labour Government didn't listen to the warnings from us or the sector. And now good landlords are selling up and leaving the market, leaving renters with fewer options and higher rates," he said.
Political Context
The former cabinet minister is also considering a run for London mayor, citing Labour's failures in housing at both national and local levels. A Labour source defended the reforms, stating: "Labour in government is putting things right and ending this unfair practice to protect renters from suddenly being thrown out of their home for no reason."
