Kate Davies, executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), said that whilst the “ministerial home of the pass of the parcel continues” Gove was “holding a familiar bundle”.
She said when he was last at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) between September 2021 and July 2022 last year he had published two important consultations.
This includes the Levelling Up report in February this year, as well as Providing a Fairer Private Rented Sector in June which proposed rental reforms.
Some of the Levelling Up plans included scrapping Section 21 evictions, the introduction of Decent Homes Standard, consultation on a landlord register and bans on rogue landlords.
In its rental report, it said it wanted to half the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030; accelerate quality improvements; reform grounds for possession; allow one annual rent increase; end use of rent review clauses; improve tenants’ rights around challenging rent increases; and bring out a private landlord Ombudsman.
Davies continued: “As one of the most experienced ministers in the new Cabinet, Gove has a reputation for getting things done – and had already made progress on number of key issues (not least the cladding scandal) – before his abrupt departure from the Johnson administration.
“Instead of facing the prospect of yet another new face at DLUHC, we therefore welcome Mr Gove’s return and hope that this signals the importance which both he and the new Prime Minister attach to this vital role.”
Gove knows that UK needs ‘more and better housing stock’
She added that Gove’s analysis of issues had been “detailed and clear” that the UK needed “more and better housing stock”.
“The process is lengthy and complex, from the granting of permission to develop and to acquisition and build-out, and the wider-reaching requirements for appropriate infrastructure to support new developments.
“As IMLA has consistently said – this is a long-term and continuing project which can only be delivered on the back of a long-term strategy. In returning to a role to which he has previously clearly given much consideration, Gove may be best placed to provide this,” Davies explained.
She added that Gove’s challenges would be to increase public sector housing whilst maintaining support for the private rental sector, increasing first-time buyer ownership in a volatile market, improving housing supply and filling the gap once Help to Buy comes to an end.
“We look forward to working with the ministerial team and officials at DLUHC – and wish them all the best of luck in untangling their particular Gordian Knot,” she concluded.
Rental reform should be ‘top of his tray’
The National Residential Landlords Association’s (NRLA) chief executive Ben Beadle congratulated Gove on his reappointment.
He continued: “Top of his in tray will be progressing with the plans he previously worked on to reform the private rented sector, including ending Section 21 repossessions.
“Our survey data shows that most can envisage operating without Section 21 provided other proposals, such as on court reform and reformed grounds for possession, have their confidence.”
Beadle said that it would “work constructively” with Gove to ensure the “final reform package has the confidence of responsible landlords and tenants alike”.
He continued: “This includes the need for action to tackle anti-social tenants, scrapping plans that would decimate the student housing market, and reforming the courts to ensure legitimate possession cases are dealt with more swiftly.”
