Social housing landlords in England will gain new powers to evict domestic abuse perpetrators under a proposed bill that also extends the required tenancy period for the right-to-buy scheme from three to ten years.
Key Provisions of the Bill
The legislation, set for debate in the House of Lords on Monday, aims to address the long-term decline in social housing and provide stronger protections for tenants experiencing domestic abuse. Currently, landlords can only remove an abuser after the victim has moved out, often forcing victims into homelessness. Under the new rules, landlords and courts can evict perpetrators while allowing victims to remain in their homes.
Closing Legal Loopholes
The bill also closes a loophole that enables abusers to make victims homeless by ending a joint tenancy early during eviction proceedings. Courts will have the power to transfer joint tenancies solely to the victim’s name or require landlords to provide suitable alternative accommodation.
Right-to-Buy Overhaul
The controversial right-to-buy policy, introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government, will be significantly tightened. Tenants must now wait ten years instead of three before purchasing their home from a council or housing association. Newly built social homes will be protected for 35 years, and hard-to-replace rural homes will be exempt from the scheme.
Additional Measures
Councils will gain a stronger right of first refusal to buy back properties previously sold under right to buy. The bill also removes outdated requirements from the 2016 Housing and Planning Act, such as forcing councils to sell high-value homes and impose fixed-term tenancies.
Government and Campaigner Reactions
Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in The Guardian that the bill will end the injustice of domestic abuse survivors being forced out of their homes. The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance welcomed the bill as an important and long-overdue step forward. According to government data, about 15,000 families in England lost their social homes due to domestic abuse last year.
If passed, the bill will receive royal assent and become law, marking a significant shift in social housing policy in England.
