Tenants will soon be able to sue landlords over ‘unfit’ homes

This will likely be music to every renter's ears

The year is 2019 and unless you were born with a silver deposit in your mouth and/or are very, very successful, you either have or are currently renting a property. And if you've ever rented, you'll know that it truly is a landlord's world. Yes, some landlords are good, but for every good landlord there are roughly 100,000 who will happily describe a bedroom containing a stove and sink as 'cosy'. This sort of dilemma is something which has faced renters for a long time, with many knowing that often they will simply have to accept the state that a property is in because, if they complain, they may just be kicked out. Thankfully a new piece of legislation may be about to change that. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act will become law on March 20 and will directly target homes which are kept in an unsafe state, and the landlords who own them. The law applies to tenancies of less than seven years in England and Wales and will apply to houses which are deemed 'unfit for living' under criteria such as containing asbestos or damp, being too cold, too hot or one which has problems with lighting or noise. If a home is deemed unfit for living then the tenant can take their landlord to court. "The Bill revives legislation requiring homes to be ‘fit for human habitation’ at the start of the tenancy and to remain so throughout," said housing organisation Shelter. "Extraordinarily, this is a not a protection currently enjoyed by any renter – social or private – in England. Although landlords have responsibilities to do repairs, there are some glaring omissions – including, for example, damp and mould caused by the structure of the building. ‘Crucially, the Bill will help private and social renter’s voices to be heard, by giving them the right to take their landlord to court over unfit and unsafe conditions like these in their home."