Tom Darling
@a_darling_tom
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director @RentersReformCo | tweeting personal views about politics, housing, and competitive sports
Lewisham, London
Joined June 2018
Next week, when the Renters' Rights Bill (likely) becomes the Renters' Rights Act, right-wingers will kick and scream. But the truth is: we have been living their deregulation experiment for the last 30+ years and the results aren't pretty. Time for a new approach. ENDS/
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Okay but has the 'investment' in renting improved outcomes, as proponents claim? Nope: England's housing stock is the "worst value for money" of any advanced economy, say @resfoundation. Renting is the worst tenure - it's the worst of the worst! 3/ https://t.co/YXlNmrH09w
resolutionfoundation.org
The UK is one of many countries that considers itself to be in the midst of a housing crisis. But a comparison of housing costs, floorspace, quality and wider price levels across countries reveals...
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From 1991 to 2013-14, the proportion of people owning their own home reduced, as the private rented sector exploded, aided by the sale of council homes through Right to Buy. Is this what Mrs Thatcher meant by 'a property owning democracy'? More landlords and less homeowners? 2/
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The Thatcher/Major liberalisation of private renting - introducing s21 no-fault evictions, buy-to-let mortgages - has been an unmitigated disaster. When the Renters Rights Bill becomes law next week, it will be good riddance to (part of) this failed experiment. Very short 🧵1/?
It remains an astonishing example of state overreach that Britain has literally outlawed the idea of a landlord and a tenant privately agreeing a rental tenancy of a specific and fixed duration. And that it was the Tories’ idea.
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The government and @mtpennycook are aware of the capacity issues, and have committed to investigating creating an alternative body to asses market rents in a given area. It’s difficult because rent data is terrible, but hopefully the new renting Database will improve this. ENDS/
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In fact, the lack of capacity in the FTT is one of the reasons we as the @RentersReformCo have called for a cap on in-tenancy rent increases instead of a tribunal system where renters can challenge rent increases. 3/
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There are 12 million renters in England. There are currently 34 judges in the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) Property Chamber. It’s absurd to suggest that tribunal decisions are going to have a meaningful impact on market rents. 2/
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Getting deep into the weeds in one specific policy area, as I have done on renting over the last few years, you realise how many think tankers/journalists/pundits will happily just fire off takes without having any clue what they’re talking about. Short 🧵1/
Under this bill, new tenants will be able to challenge their rent at a tribunal within six months of moving in. This means tribunals will be able to control all market rents, not just rent rises within a tenancy. This is straightforward rent control across the entire market.
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🚨🚨 WIN FOR RENTERS The House of Lords has just voted 215-204 to remove an amendment to the Renters' Rights Bill that would have weakened the ban on no-fault evictions by reducing disincentives for landlord abuse. A big win for our RRC members after some intensive campaigning!
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Missed this: Badenoch describing "young people trapped in the *pain* of renting". After flirting with the idea that they should improve protections for renters, the Conservatives have returned to the view that renting is just something you need to escape. If you can't: too bad!!
Kemi Badenoch has promised to axe stamp duty if she gets into power. The Tory leader said the money for this policy will be found from the cuts previously announced in her keynote speech, which included a £23bn cut in welfare spending. Read more 👉 https://t.co/xItZsH7tea
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Good to have the opportunity to make a pronatalist case for rental reform to Conservative members earlier this week 👇
Homes are the heart of family life - but an insecure rental sector is part of why young couples are putting off having children. @a_darling_tom tried to appeal to delegates at #CPC25 about why strengthening renters' rights is pro-family.
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“Some modest steps in the right direction, it would be churlish to pretend otherwise” Shadow Housing Secretary @JamesCleverly says of Labour’s housing policy at a packed fringe at #cpc25
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Looking forward to this... hmu if ur in Bournemouth on Sunday and fancy a coffee or a drink !
Join us this Sunday at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference for our event: Bigger and better? Reforming the private rental sector. 🗣️ @RyanShorthouse , @WillForster , @CarlCashman , @eleanormia , @a_darling_tom , Timothy Douglas. ⏰ 11:30am - 12:30pm 📍Blandford Syndicate 3,
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Another distinguished member of our noble upper chamber, where the Renters' Rights Bill is being held up awaiting another round of scrutiny...
The Labour peer's eviction of a family with young children from their home in north London would be outlawed from next year under his party's Renters' Rights Bill đź”´ Exclusive by @victoria_spratt Read more: https://t.co/uQnTqjr8u4
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Brilliant research by @J_Elliott94 @DarrenBaxter The Chancellor can increases taxes on landlords at the Budget and ignore the crowing from landlords about how this will hurt renters. Actually - it will help continue to rebalance our housing system and make society fairer.
New report: Taxing landlords more is good, actually. Since 2016, tax reforms helped slash the growth of the private rented sector and boosted first-time buyers—without hurting existing tenants. A big housing story hiding in plain sight? ⬇️
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Peter Mandelson when asked about this by the FT in February: “I’m not going to go into this. It’s an FT obsession and frankly you can all f*ck off. OK?”
EXCLUSIVE: Grovelling Peter Mandelson brands Epstein an “albatross around his neck” 🚨 Ambassador admits he continued relations with paedo banker after conviction 📺 PREVIEW of tonight's Harry Cole Saves The West https://t.co/RqnNHw9yc4
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"The private rented sector... is a highly successful sector" Shadow Housing Secretary @JamesCleverly clearly hasn't spoken to many renters since he took on the gig...
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The Renters’ Rights Bill returns from the House of Lords today. It will level decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant and transform the experience of private renting. England’s 11 million private renters need it to receive Royal Assent as quickly as possible.
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England's public realm is in a death spiral - caused, for the most part, by George Osborne. https://t.co/K03uu1U3co
bbc.co.uk
Hundreds of council-owned buildings being sold as local authorities seek to reduce debts of ÂŁ122bn.
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Shocking development: renting is still unaffordable. As @a_darling_tom says here, "the biggest issue facing renters – the cost of their rent – isn’t going away any time soon." The govt should set up a national commission focused solely on this issue.
theguardian.com
ONS figures for 2024 show top 10 least affordable areas all in London (42% of income) while most affordable region was north east (20%)
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