A row over the Renters Rights Bill between the government and tech company Reapit has stepped up a gear.
Reapit wants that government to release its Justice Impact Test for the Renters Rights Bill. Reapit is convinced it will show the court system as woefully inadequate to cope with the expected legal cases surrounding evictions that will come as a result of the Bill’s abolition of Section 21.
Reapit initially wrote to the government asking for the test report, and was told no. Now it’s submitted a Freedom of Information request, and this has also been rejected.
This comes as the House of Commons Justice Committee published its study of the current state of the County Courts, concluding that it faces “unacceptable and increasing delays across nearly all types of claims”.
In its response, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed it has the information but is withholding it under another provision of the Freedom of Information Act – one which protects the formulation of government policy.
The department claimed that releasing the data could create a “chilling effect” on policy development and that “on balance, it is not in the public interest to disclose this information at this time”.
Reapit has now appealed the decision by the MHCLG not to publish the information.
Dr Neil Cobbold, commercial director at Reapit UKI, says: “We recognise the government’s need for a ‘safe space’ during the early stages of policy development. However, with the Renters’ Rights Bill clearing the Report Stage in the House of Lords, the focus is shifting towards final amendments and implementation. At this point, there is a clear public interest in understanding how the justice system is expected to respond to the changes. This is critical in light of the Justice Committee’s recent report showing increasing delays for those seeking justice through the County Courts, which is where most eviction cases will be ruled on.
“Landlords, tenants, and letting agents are already preparing for what the Bill will mean in practice. Publishing the Justice Impact Test would provide much-needed clarity and help ensure that everyone affected is ready for the transition.
“At Reapit, we are already working closely with our customers and partners to help them prepare – from updating workflows and compliance tools to providing guidance and resources to support a smooth transition when the Renters’ Rights Bill comes into force.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today