Diane Abbott responds to landlords’ criticism of Right to Rent

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, in response to criticism of the government’s Right to Rent scheme, said:

“Many of us have long argued that the government’s demands for background and immigration status checks by landlords was inherently unjust. Now landlords themselves argue that government guidance leaves them open to prosecution.

“The High Court has already ruled that this legislation is discriminatory. It shows that the government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy is still in full force. Labour demands that this policy ends, and we will certainly end it in office.”

Ends

Note to Editors

Last month, the Home Office released updated guidance on its Right to Rent scheme https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/823111/short_guide_on_right_to_rent_v001.pdf

The Residential Landlords Association have criticised the updated guidance for leaving landlords open to prosecution and calling for the Right to Rent policy to be scrapped https://news.rla.org.uk/rent-to-rent-guidance-breaks-the-law/

Back in March 2019, the High Court ruled the scheme breached human rights law as it “strongly showed” the legislation caused landlords to discriminate against both foreign nationals and black and minority-ethnic British citizens https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/right-to-rent-scheme-human-rights-violation-racist-foreign-citizens-court-a8802666.html