Government plans to scrap lifetime security of tenure for social housing tenants

Council and housing assoication tenants will be restricted to five-year tenancies

Security of tenure will be reduced (Getty Images)

The Government is planning to scrap lifetime security of tenure for renters in council and housing association properties, according to industry reports.

Inside Housing magazine reports that the Government wants to restrict new social tenants to five-year long tenancies.

Most tenants in council and housing association properties get lifetime security, compare to private renters who generally face six-month or one year tenancies.

Social landlords have been allowed to issue five-year tenancies since the Government changed the law in 2012 but only around 1 in 10 new tenancies have taken up the offer.

Civil servants are said to be briefing industry figures on the changes, with an official announcement due in the next few months.

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government told the publication: “More details will be available in due course.”

The Government has come to blows with the social housing sector recently over its plans to extend its Right To Buy policy to housing associations.

Landlords initially threatened legal action over the proposals when they first appeared in the Tory manifesto, but were encouraged to agree a deal that involved no primary legislation.

The Government cut social housing rents in its recent budget but is planning to raise them for higher earners, under a policy dubbed “pay to stay”.