This morning, the government has published its plans to reform the private rental sector in the UK.
A white paper published on Thursday morning sets out plans to prevent private landlords from discriminating against their tenants - meaning that private housing providers can no longer place blanket bans on children, pets, or people on benefits renting their property on those grounds.
However, in a move to appease landlords, Michael Gove also looks set to give them the power to request insurance to cover any potential damage caused by pets - as the 2019 Tenant Fees Act caps maximum deposits at five weeks' rent.
Further plans also look to abolish the Section 21 'no fault' evictions - where a landlord can evict a tenant in two months without giving them a reason - delivering on a policy first announced by the government in 2019.
These changes will form part of a new Renters Reform Bill, intended to make private renting more equitable.
The new bill will also extend the decent home living standard to private housing, five years after 309 Conservative MPs voted down plans for rented homes to be made fit for human habitation following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
This means that homes must now be kept free from serious health and safety hazards, and landlords must keep properties in a good state of repair.
Further changes include the creation of a new Private Renters’ Ombudsman to resolve disputes between private renters and landlords quickly and affordably, without having to go to court; and a new property portal to help landlords understand and comply with their new responsibilities.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “The Renters Reform Bill is a game changer for England’s 11 million private renters.
"Scrapping unfair evictions will level the playing field. For the first time in a long time, tenants will be able to stand up to bad behaviour instead of living in fear.
“This White Paper promises people safety and security in their home, and it makes clear that landlords need to play by the rules. Gone will be the days of families being uprooted and children forced to move school after being slapped with a Section 21 no-fault eviction for no good reason.
“As these plans move through Parliament, they’ve got to keep their teeth to drive up standards and professionalise private renting. For every renter trapped in a never-ending nightmare of moving from one shoddy rental to the next, the Renters’ Reform Bill cannot come soon enough.”
Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove said: “For too long many private renters have been at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords who fail to repair homes and let families live in damp, unsafe and cold properties, with the threat of unfair ‘no fault’ evictions orders hanging over them.
“Our new deal for renters will help to end this injustice by improving the rights and conditions for millions of renters as we level up across the country and deliver on the people’s priorities.”
The BBC has announced a brand-new crime drama set to be filmed in Leeds and Hull.
We all love a BBC drama, and luckily for us one is about to be filmed right here in Leeds.
The new drama will be titled Shy & Lola, starring Harley Squires from The Night Manager and Bel Powley from The Diary of A Teenage Girl.
The six-part series has been described as a "dark comedy" about two women caught up in a murder in the criminal underworld.
The plot follows an unassuming pair in a small coastal town in northern England where the pair both realise they have a hidden talent for crime.
The series synopsis states: "As they build an operation that threatens to blow the local bad guys out of the water, opposing futures beckon – using their earnings to fund a fresh start, or becoming the new bosses in town."
The show is based on a popular French TV series and is written by Amanda Coe, an acclaimed English screenwriter and novelist.
Amanda Coe spoke about the announcement: "With such a rich and spiky central relationship at its core, Shy & Lolais a dream of a show to write, full of fun, action and emotion. I can't wait to see our hugely exciting cast and director bring it to life."
Rachelle Constant, executive Producer for Clerkenwell Films, said: "Amanda has written a brilliantly bold series centred on a dynamic female duo, which blends dark comedy with propulsive storytelling.We’re thrilled to have Hayley and Bel as our leads, alongside an exceptional cast and crew."
The new series will begin filming in Leeds and Hull this spring and will air on BBC One and iPlayer and we'll absolutely be tuning in.
Yorkshire actor Robert Aramayo scoops BAFTA alongside other ‘surprise’ northern winners
Clementine Hall
Hull-born Robert Aramayo was one of the well-deserved winners at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards last night.
Robert Aramayo, 33, took home the coveted Best Actor BAFTA last night (February 22) for his role in I Swear, a biographical drama based on the real life story of John Davidson, a Scottish man with Tourette syndrome.
It's a huge win for the Yorkshire actor, as he was up against major Hollywood heavyweights including Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo Dicaprio (One Battle After Another) and Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon).
Not only did he scoop up the Best Actor award, but he also bagged the coveted Rising Star award which was the only one determined by public vote.
Originally from Hull, Robert graduated from the famous Juilliard School in New York and has since built up a number of film credits including Elrong in The Lord of The Rings.
Receiving his dazzling award, Aramayo said: "This is really scary, last time I was at Bafta I dropped the award, so hopefully this will go better.
“I can’t believe this, it really blows my mind. John Davidson is the most remarkable person I’ve ever met and he believes there is so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s."
He continued: “In the words of the film, they need support and understanding. This means the world to me, I can’t believe it.”
And it doesn't stop there for surprise northern winners, as Manchester-raised actress Wunmi Mosaku took home the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her incredible performance in Sinners.
Wunmi was already a BAFTA TV Award winner or her role as Gloria Taylor in the 2016 TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy, but this was her first win on the Film side, and it was a win that has turned the Best Supporting Actress ‘Oscar race’ into one of the more up-in-the-air categories this Awards Season.
Elsewhere in the ceremony, some of the other big winners of the night were One Battle After Another, which scooped Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, among others, while Hamnet took Best British Film, and the film’s lead Jessie Buckley won Best Actress in Leading Role – with the latter being, arguably, the only expected and predicted acting win of the night.
Georgina Pellant -
16th June 2022 
