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In this issue:
As many of you may know, the government is working on introducing the new Renters’ Rights Bill, which will bring in some important changes for both landlords and tenants and we want to make sure all landlords are informed and ready. Some of the key changes in the Bill include the abolition of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, meaning landlords will need to provide a valid reason (under new grounds), if they wish to end a tenancy.
Other important updates include:
- Moving all tenancies to periodic, meaning fixed-term contracts will be phased out
- Stronger rules on rent increases, with limits on how often they can happen and more notice required
- A new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, offering tenants and landlords a simpler way to resolve disputes without going to court
- A Property Portal, which landlords will need to register with to show they meet legal standards
- Strengthening and simplifying Section 8 grounds for possession. This includes clearer and more enforceable grounds for cases like anti-social behaviour, repeated rent arrears, or if the landlord wants to sell the property or move back in
- Stronger protections for tenants who want to keep pets, making it harder to refuse a reasonable request without a good reason.
In preparation, Officers are already undergoing training to understand the new powers and responsibilities the Council will have under the new law. We're also working to update our CLAS (Coventry Landlord Accreditation Scheme) training, so it reflects all the upcoming changes and helps landlords stay compliant. We'll keep sharing updates as the Bill moves forward and more details become available.
On 13 February 2024, the Council’s Cabinet approved plans to consult on bringing in a new additional licensing scheme for HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) across the whole of Coventry. The consultation ran from 26 February to 17 May 2024 and received an incredibly strong response, with most people supporting the idea.
A follow-up report was taken to Full Council on 3 September 2024, recommending that all HMOs in the city should be included in the new scheme for the next five years. The Council agreed, and the new scheme will start on 4 May 2025 and run until 3 May 2030, unless the Council decides to end it earlier.
The scheme will cover:
• HMOs with three or four people living there
• HMOs as defined in Section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 (buildings converted into flats)
This new scheme will be very similar to the one that started back in May 2020. The rules and policies will stay the same (you can read them on our webpage)
Since most landlords who wanted to work with the Council have already licensed their HMOs, the focus will now shift to ensuring compliance with existing licence conditions and increasing enforcement efforts, including proactive work to identify and take action against landlords who failed to apply for licences during the previous scheme.
The designation for the new scheme can be found on our webpage.
Our eligibility criteria for licence lengths have been simplified, making it clearer when applicants are eligible for different licence durations. These changes will only apply to applications submitted on or after 4 May 2025. Any pending applications or existing licences will not be affected. You can view the updated HMO Licensing Policy for more details.
We will no longer accept DBS checks from licence holders, even if an accredited manager is in place. This change ensures that licence holders have direct knowledge of relevant regulations and housing law, rather than relying solely on their managers to ensure compliance.
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Binley & Willenhall Ward: A property had fallen into disrepair and been left empty because the previous owner passed away. The Council contacted the next of kin, encouraged them to apply for probate. When probate was granted, the property was sold at auction and underwent a complete renovation. The newly refurbished home is now ready for new tenants.
Upper Stoke Ward: A neglected property in Upper Stoke Ward had become significantly overgrown, causing a nuisance to the local community. Our Planning Enforcement Officers issued a Section 215 Notice instructing the owner to take action, and our Empty Dwellings Officer provided guidance on property maintenance, renting, and finding tenants. The owner complied with the notice by fully renovating the property, transforming it into a home which has now been let to a couple of new tenants.
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Coventry City Council’s project for enforcing minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) across the city want to remind landlords that it is a legal requirement for all privately rented properties in England and Wales to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least an 'E' before they are sold or let, not just when a new tenancy begins.
Those who fail to make the necessary changes will be subject to the appropriate fines: up to £5,000 for domestic dwellings. We have begun adding prosecutions for landlords that have failed to make the necessary changes to our Enforcement Action webpage.
The Department for Work and Pensions has shared guidance for landlords on the below subjects:
Powers for landlords to collect rent from benefit payments to be re-examined (link is external)
A controversial system that automatically approves landlord requests to deduct tenants’ benefits to pay rent arrears and ongoing rent payments is being re-examined, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Tuesday 25 February 2025.
Currently, a computer program automatically approves landlord requests to deduct up to a fifth of someone’s monthly Universal Credit payments for outstanding rent repayments without them being consulted by either their landlord or DWP.
The department will now look at this process and consider better ways of ensuring landlords get the rent they are owed in a fair and proportionate way while benefit claimants are protected from falling into debt.
How the deductions from benefit scheme works: guidance for creditors or suppliers - GOV.UK
Guidance for current creditors or suppliers, for example, utility suppliers and landlords, on how the deductions from benefit scheme works.
Universal Credit and rented housing: guide for landlords - GOV.UK
If you’re a private or social sector landlord you can:
- consider how Universal Credit may impact your business
- consider how you might need to adapt any policies or processes
- engage with your tenants early to identify any support needs making sure they understand they need to make rent payments
Get local information and advice about Universal Credit by contacting your regional partnership manager.
We want to work with you to improve housing in the city. If you want to get in touch with any questions please, contact the team:
Email: hmo@coventry.gov.uk
Telephone: 024 7697 5467
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