Renters' Rights Bill Update and Implementation

Ministers claim the Renters Rights Bill will come into force 'without dither or delay' while refusing to set a timescale for the new law.

Under-Secretary for Housing Baroness Taylor claims essential background work to help ease the implementation of the bill is underway despite the bill's slow progress through Parliament.

The bill has reached the report stage at the House of Lords but seems unlikely to gain Royal Assent before Parliament rises for the summer recess later in July.

Only three more sittings are available - on July 1, 7, and 15 - which do not give the bill enough time to clear Parliament.

The bill is on course to gain assent in September or October, with Baroness Taylor seeming to suggest that the abolition of Section 21 and the adoption of updated tenancy agreements will take place immediately after assent is given.

Secondary legislation

Other measures, such as introducing a decent homes standard for rental properties and setting up a landlord database for England, will follow in 2026 and 2027.

Baroness Taylor told the Lords: "We are committed to making sure that implementation takes place smoothly. As such, wider work around the bill must be allowed to conclude before implementation takes place.

"That includes the production of guidance, updating court forms, and making secondary legislation. For example, the information that landlords are required to give tenants in the written statement of terms will be set out in secondary legislation.

"Work is already underway on these matters. We need to get it right. We will appoint the date of implementation via secondary legislation, which is typical when commencing complex primary legislation.

"This will allow us to give the sector certainty about when the system will come into force. Relying on Royal Assent would create significant uncertainty around the specific date, and we mustn't do that."

What's in the bill

The Renters' Rights Bill deals with wide-ranging reforms aimed at improving housing standards in the private rented sector, including:

• An overhauled standard periodic tenancy agreement for use by all private landlords
• The abolition of Section 21 'no fault' evictions
• Upgraded grounds for Section 8 possessions
• A decent homes standard for private rentals
• Changes to property advertising and letting practices
• Restrictions on paying upfront rent
• Rules for fair rent increases
• A national landlord and agent database
• A new property ombudsman with mandatory membership for landlords
• New letting offences and increased civil penalties for non-compliance

The new bill also includes a pet charter for renters. The bill allows renters to keep a pet unless the landlord has grounds for a reasonable refusal.

An amendment had asked that landlords be allowed to request a pet deposit equal to three weeks' rent.

Despite a previous Labour government promise to allow landlords to collect a deposit or for tenants to set up pet damage insurance, the amendment was dropped, even though animal charities claimed restrictions contained in private rental agreements were a major driver for pet abandonment.

Renters' Rights Bill in Parliament