Election 2024 Manifesto round-up | Conservatives: Housing

Commitments include to reintroduce a Renters Reform Bill to abolish no-fault evictions

The Conservative Party has today launched its manifesto ahead of the General Election on 4 July 2024.

Housing-related commitments contained in Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future include to -

• Introduce measures affecting landlords and tenants by -
  • reintroducing a Renters Reform Bill to fully abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions and strengthen other grounds for landlords to evict private tenants guilty of anti-social behaviour;
  • delivering the court reforms necessary to enable the abolition of no-fault evictions;
  • legislating for new ‘Local Connection’ and ‘UK Connection’ tests for social housing in England 'to ensure this valuable but limited resource is allocated fairly'; and
  • implementing a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ expectation of social housing landlords to evict tenants for anti-social behaviour.
     
• Increase support for homeownership and leaseholders by -
  • introducing a two-year temporary Capital Gains Tax relief for landlords who sell to their existing tenants;
  • protecting the laws that ensure Right to Buy discounts rise with inflation and fight any plan by local authorities to abolish the Right to Buy altogether;
  • completing the process of leasehold reform by capping ground rents at £250, reducing them to a 'peppercorn' over time, ending the misuse of forfeiture so leaseholders don’t lose their property and capital unfairly, and making it easier to take up commonhold;
  • making permanent the increase to the threshold at which first-time buyers pay Stamp Duty to £425,000 from £300,000; and
  • launching a new and improved Help to Buy scheme and continuing its Mortgage Guarantee Scheme.
     
• Maintain the current council tax banding system in England by -
  • introducing a Family Home Tax Guarantee that agrees not to increase the number of council tax bands, undertake a council tax revaluation or cut council tax discounts.
     
• Continue prevention of homelessness activity by -
  • progressing work to end rough sleeping and deliver commitments under the Local Authority Housing Fund and to review the quality of temporary accommodation.
     
• Support increased housing supply by -
  • committing to deliver 1.6 million homes in England in the next Parliament;
  • ensuring councils have the powers they need to manage the uncontrolled growth of holiday lets;
  • giving councils greater planning powers to prevent unauthorised development by travellers;
  • supporting more community housing schemes; and
  • renewing the Affordable Homes Programme to deliver homes of all tenures and focus on regenerating and improving housing estates.

For more information, see Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future from conservatives.com

See also the Conservative Party's commitments in relation to: Welfare Rights; Employment; and Community Care.

NB - manifestos from the range of main parties include: Conservative: Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future | Green: Real hope, real change | Labour: Change | Liberal Democrat: For a Fair Deal | Scotland: Alba: Yes to Scottish Independence | Scottish Conservative and Unionist: Focused on your priorities | Scottish Labour: Our National Recovery Plan | Scottish National Party: A future made in Scotland | Wales: Plaid Cymru: For fairness, for ambition, for Wales | Welsh Labour: Change | Northern Ireland: Alliance: Leading Change | Democratic Unionist Party: Making Northern Ireland Work | Sinn Fein: Strong Leadership, Positive Change | Social Democratic and Labour Party: An Election for Change

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