[mmarq]

First of all this state of affairs is unique to the UK, in continental Europe this section 21 business doesn’t exist and 99% of the population wouldn’t consider it a thing of a civilized country (because it isn’t).

S12 invalidates half of your tenancy agreement, to be precise it allows your landlord to renege on all their obligations. A window breaks and you want it to be fixed it? Bad luck, here’s your S21 and may the next sucker come in. It may not be a problem for you, but if you are poor and especially if you have a family, you may have to decide between living with broken stuff (that your landlord is being paid to fix) or being homeless. This is not a hypothetical, this is how millions of people live here.

[raverbashing]

The other side of S21 is for example Germany where you can't easily evict people from your apartment even if you want to live in it.

So yeah, while 2 months is a short time in some circumstances, allowing the contract to be terminated by both parties is an important aspect

Let's not do it like in Canada where you're pretty much forced to leave at the end of the contract or you renew it for a whole year (and in some cities, all contracts end on the same date oof)

[mmarq]

The German system is exactly what I would be aiming for. We should refuse the notion that renting flats is a business, especially as it’s intended in the UK, where it’s the less taxed than work. In addition, we should tax properties and use that money to cut NI.

[raverbashing]

"It's not a business" sure, then wonder why companies are managing ever more properties and private renters prefer renting it through AirBnb

I think there are points in protection but not being able to evict a tenant because you want an apartment for yourself (and no, in practice it can take even as high as 5 years) is simply ridiculous

[mmarq]

> "It's not a business" sure, then wonder why companies are managing ever more properties and private renters prefer renting it through AirBnb

Managing an Airbnb is a business, it requires the flat to be cleaned and functioning and you are practically out of business after N bad reviews. Besides, I’d be surprised if you could make any money with an Airbnb in the UK more than 20 minutes away from Westminster.

> I think there are points in protection but not being able to evict a tenant because you want an apartment for yourself (and no, in practice it can take even as high as 5 years) is simply ridiculous

What is ridiculous, and I’m saying this as somebody who owns their home, is that families with children can be evicted with just 2 months of notice because they asked for repairs or because the landlord wants to test the market. This happens every day in the UK and the situation is so bad that even the current government had to acknowledge it.

It is just civilised that evicting somebody may require a lengthy process, depending on who this person is. Can a family with a disabled child find a new home in 6 weeks?

[raverbashing]

Yes, 2 months is a short time. A lot of places make the notice contingent on time already spent there