Renters' Rights Bill
“Legislation will be introduced to give greater rights and
protections to people renting their homes, including ending no
fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession”
- More than 11 million people in England live day in, day out
with the knowledge that they could be uprooted from their home
with little notice and minimal justification, and a significant
minority of them are forced to live in substandard properties for
fear that a complaint would lead to an instant retaliatory
eviction. The Government is determined to address the insecurity
and injustice that far too many renters experience by
fundamentally reforming the private rented sector and improving
the quality of housing in it.
- We value the contribution made by responsible landlords who
provide quality homes to their tenants and believe they must
enjoy robust grounds for possession where there is good reason to
take their property back. However, the Government is determined
to level decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant
by providing renters with greater security, rights and
protections and cracking down on the minority of unscrupulous
landlords who exploit, mistreat or discriminate against tenants
with bad practices such as unfair rent increases intended to
force tenants out, and pitting renters against each other in
bidding wars.
- The Renters' Rights Bill delivers our manifesto commitment to
transform the experience of private renting, including by ending
Section 21 ‘no fault' evictions – we will take action where the
previous Government has failed. The Bill will giveing renters
much greater security and stability so they can stay in their
homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the
risk of homelessness.
What does the Bill do?
- The private rented sector must work for all those who depend
upon it for a secure home. A functioning sector can provide
flexibility for those who want it, and a secure stepping stone
for aspiring homeowners.
- Too many renters are being exploited by a minority of
unscrupulous landlords, unable to challenge bad practices because
they could be evicted at any moment. This is bad for economic
growth and productivity, poor for health, and a drain on
aspiration.
- The Renters' Rights Bill will overhaul the private rented
sector, with this Government determined to take action where the
previous Government failed, transforming rights for the 11
million private tenants in England by:
-
abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault evictions',
removing the threat of arbitrary evictions and increasing
tenant security and stability. New clear and expanded
possession grounds will be introduced so landlords can
reclaim their properties when they need to.
-
strengthening tenants' rights and
protections, for example we will empower tenants to
challenge rent increases designed to force them out by the
backdoor and introduce new laws to end the practice of rental
bidding wars by landlords and letting agents.
-
giving tenants the right to request a pet,
which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.
Landlords will be able to request insurance to cover
potential damage from pets if needed.
-
applying a Decent Homes Standard to
the private rented sector to ensure homes are safe,
secure and hazard free – tackling the blight of poor-quality
homes.
-
applying ‘Awaab's Law' to the sector,
setting clear legal expectations about the timeframes within
which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes
safe where they contain serious hazards.
-
creating a digital private rented sector database to
bring together key information for landlords, tenants, and
councils. Tenants will be able to access information
to inform choices when entering new tenancies. Landlords will
be able to quickly understand their obligations and
demonstrate compliance, providing certainty for tenants and
landlords alike. Councils will be able to use the database to
target enforcement where it is needed most.
-
supporting quicker, cheaper resolution when there are
disputes – preventing them escalating to costly court
proceedings – with a new ombudsman service for the
private rented sector that will provide fair, impartial and
binding resolution, to both landlords and tenants and
reducing the need to go to court.
-
making it illegal for landlords to discriminate
against tenants in receipt of benefits or with children when
choosing to let their property – so no family is
discriminated against and denied a home when they need it.
-
strengthening local councils' enforcement
powers. New investigatory powers will make it easier
for councils to identify and fine unscrupulous landlords and
drive bad actors out of the sector.
Territorial extent and application
- The majority of the Bill will extend to England and Wales and
apply to England.
Key facts
- This Bill will reform the private rented sector,
strengthening the protections for 11 million private tenants.
This includes the 1.4 million households with dependent children
and 444,000 households with over-65s privately renting.
- Government data released in 2024 found that no fault
evictions resulted in a record 25,910 households being threatened
with homelessness in 2023. In addition, 2,682 households in
England were removed from their homes by bailiffs because of no
fault evictions between January and March – up 19 per cent in a
year and the highest number in six years.
- The last two years has seen unprecedented levels of growth in
rental prices. Whilst the annual growth rate in rents have
usually been around 2 per cent, in March 2024 yearly increase in
the average rent of the stock of tenancies reached 9 per cent.
- In 2021, private rented sector tenants spent 38 per cent of
their income on rent (excl. housing support), whilst homeowners
spent only 21 per cent on mortgage costs and social renters 27
per cent on rent.
- 21 per cent of private rented sector homes (approximately one
million properties) are non-decent and 12 per cent (approximately
580,000 properties) contain a category one hazard such as severe
damp or mould.
