The Tories’ flagship rental housing sector reforms are on the ‘brink of collapse’, it has been claimed.

An unnamed Whitehall insider has told The Sun newspaper that the efforts of some 50 MPs to force through a clutch of amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill are proving successful including delaying its headline policy.

This will see ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions banned but the ‘rebel’ MPs have insisted that the courts must be ready for the expected surge in work when evicting tenants becomes both more complicated and time consuming once the ‘ban’ starts.

Quoting an unnamed source within Whitehall, The newspaper reports: “The Renters (Reform) Bill looks like it may now collapse and the Tories risk breaking their manifesto commitment to end no fault evictions.

“Officials are at a total loss given both pro-landlord groups like the National Residential Landlords Association and pro-renters groups like the Renters Reform Coalition want this bill passed ASAP.

Ransom

“It seems a small group of landlord MPs, led by Anthony Mangnall, are holding the bill to ransom.”

Despite these claims, many of the amendments by the MPs lead by Anthony Mangnall are designed to make the Bill ‘workable’ including ensuring that plans to make tenancies open-ended rather than fixed-term don’t disrupt the student accommodation market.

The Sun says Mangnall and his fellow MPs, who include some of the Tory parties most senior figures, are trying to ‘kill the bill’ by delaying its progress through parliament and, given a likely election in May, make it lame duck legislation.

But Mangnall has denied this, saying that: “It’s my role as a legislator to ensure we pass sensible legislation. We’ve had constructive meetings with Michael Gove.

“This is about trying to find the right balance.”

But Renters’ Reform Coalition’ spokesperson Tom Darling (pictured) is sceptical, saying: “It’s becoming clear that a number of Conservative MPs – many of whom are landlords – are intent on torpedoing their own manifesto commitment to end section 21 evictions and deliver desperately-needed rental reform.

“This is disgraceful. The truth is the Renters (Reform) Bill is the bare minimum renters need, and it has already been watered down in favour of landlords.

“Tenants won't thank the government for doing a grubby deal with landlord backbenchers that results in little change from the status quo.”

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