Dagenham And Rainham Renters To Be protected From Eye Watering Upfront Rental Costs.

‘For too long, renters in Dagenham and Rainham have had to find large sums of cash upfront, meaning they are pushed into debt or have to go without essential living costs’-Margaret Mullane MP.

Renters across Dagenham and Rainham will be saved from forking up to thousands of pounds in rent upfront thanks to new plans introduced to Parliament by the Labour government today.

Currently, there is no limit to how many months rent landlords can require tenants to pay upfront to secure a property. This loophole – coupled with high demand for rental properties – has resulted in some landlords forcing tenants to pay extortionate sums of money upfront, in the form of several months’ rent, before securing a tenancy. Deposit Protection Scheme data shows that, between May and December last year, 1- in-8 surveyed landlords asked for between four and six months’ rent upfront for one of their rental properties. 

Under new measures introduced as part of Labour’sRenters’ Rights Bill, the amount of rent landlords can demand in advance will be limited to a maximum of one month’s rent. The bill also includes a raft of measures to boost renters’ rights, abolish no fault evictions and ensure landlords do not unreasonably withhold consent when a tenant requests to have a pet in their home. 

Labour’s actions stand in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government who shelved plans to boost renters’ rights, leaving households exposed to spiralling costs and poor housing. 

Margaret Mullane MP told the Havering Daily: “For too long, renters in Dagenham and Rainham have had to find large sums of cash upfront, meaning they are pushed into debt or have to go without essential living costs. This announcement will protect tenants who do not have upfront funds from being blocked from the private rented sector. It’s just one of the ways that this Labour Government is working for us in Dagenham and Rainham. 

I have spoken with a representative of Generation Rent concerning the challenges that private renters face and was pleased to hear the welcome for the Renters’ Rights Bill and in particular ending the massive cash upfront demands from landlords.

I know that Generation Rent want to go further and faster on improving lives for renters and I have committed to maintaining close contact with the group.”

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