Ministers confirm two-year tenancies, but expect longer terms "in vast majority of cases"

The government is to press ahead with plans to allow social landlords to offer a minimum two-year tenancy, it has been confirmed.

However, ministers said they expected landlords to offer longer-term tenancies “in the vast majority of cases” – and in particular to vulnerable households or those with children.

Publishing a summary of responses to its consultation, Local decisions: next steps towards a fairer future for social housing, the government revealed that two-thirds of the landlords which responded plan to offer fixed tenancies.

The Department for Communities and Local Government also announced that all social landlords would be required to show how their tenancy plans would provide for and protect the most vulnerable, including families with children.

Existing tenants will not see their rights or rents affected by the reforms, it was confirmed. However, along with other tenants, they will have access to a National Home Swap Scheme, which is intended to help them move for work, family or other reasons. Landlords will be required to subscribe to Internet-based mutual exchange services as part of the scheme.

The DCLG highlighted a number of other reforms as key. These include:

• a new power for councils to determine who qualifies to join their waiting list. “Existing tenants looking to move house will no longer have to compete with those on the waiting list unless they have 'reasonable preference', giving councils and housing associations the flexibility to work with tenants who want, rather than need, to move”
• greater flexibility for councils to make decisions on how best to help people at risk of homelessness at the local level. “Currently some homeless families are turning down the decent private rented accommodation they've been offered as a settled home, and demanding to be provided with expensive temporary accommodation, at huge cost to the taxpayer, until a social home becomes available,” the DCLG said. Ministers said the government would invest £400m to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping
• New 'Affordable Rent' tenancies that will be offered by housing associations to some new tenants of social housing from April 2011. These will be at a rent higher than social rent – up to a ceiling of 80% of local market rents. “This will enable landlords to raise funds to build more affordable housing for those who need it”
• Powers for social housing tenants “to ensure that their landlords provide quality housing and are held to account when problems arise”. Landlords will be expected to support tenant panels or equivalent bodies.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "Over the past 13 years a lazy consensus in social housing meant the numbers of people left languishing on waiting lists almost doubled. We cannot sit idly by and watch as people simply join the back of the queue - urgent reform is needed to make sure as many people as possible benefit from the support that social housing offers.

"This new system will be fairer and more flexible, ensuring the most vulnerable in our society continue to be protected, while giving councils the freedom to offer fixed tenancies to new tenants so they can give help where and when it's needed for as long as it's needed.”

The consultation received some 700 responses. The summary can be read here.