London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a new Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund to help renters defend their rights as the Renters’ Rights Act becomes law on 1st May.

The £400,000 pot will pay for organisations and boroughs to inform Londoners of their rights as well as fund training for enforcement officers.

Cash will support renters in taking “dodgy” landlords to tribunal to get up to 24 months of rent refunded, and expand the use of technology to solve problems, such as sensors to detect and take action on damp and mould. It will also pay to publish online PRS tools and checkers, so Londoners can hold their landlords and letting agents to account, and support boroughs to share intelligence about rogue landlords.

Alongside the new fund, a new campaign will launch next month to ensure Londoners are aware of the changes, with online advertising and posters on the TfL network.

Evictions

Khan says this will help renters know their new rights around the ban on no fault evictions and using tribunals to challenge unreasonable rent hikes. “It also means that crucially, organisations will have more resources to make sure the new rules are upheld.”

Khan has also reiterated his longstanding call for the devolution of rent caps to improve affordability as a new poll by the Greater London Authority reveals that three quarters of Londoners would support a cap in the amount of rent that can be increased each year.

Devolve

“I believe the next step is for Ministers to devolve the power to cap rents so we can tackle the capital’s problems of both affordability and supply,” adds Khan. “And the evidence is clear – Londoners would overwhelmingly back new plans to put a cap on rent increases in the capital.”

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, says the fund is welcome news. He adds: “With this funding, organisations can do more to support the law to reach into people’s homes and improve their lives.”

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