Renters Reform Bill returns to the House of Commons

The Renters Reform Bill returns to the House of Commons for its third reading this Wednesday (24th April 2024). The legislation will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, tighten rules around landlord repossessions, improve housing conditions and strengthen local council powers to regulate landlords.

A bill was finally published last May, setting out major changes that govern the relationship between England’s 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords.

The legislation completed its committee-stage line-by-line reading by MPs last November, but a group of around 50 Conservative MPs, some of whom are landlords, complained to the government arguing that its measures are biased in favour of tenants.

More than 26,311 households in England have been removed from their home by court bailiffs as a result of Section 21 since the government first promised to scrap no-fault evictions in 2019, according to Ministry of Justice data.

Eviction notices have shot up to hit a five-year high as a ban on no-fault evictions looms via the Government’s Renters Reform Bill. The number of tenants being evicted has risen by more than a third since 2022, reaching 2,671 in the three months to December.

Marco Longhi, Tory MP for Dudley North and a landlord himself, commented: “I have consistently said that, whilst well-meaning, the Renters Reform Bill is bad for tenants.” He explained: “At a time when there is already insufficient supply to meet demand for rented property, this legislation is reducing the number of properties available for rent because landlords are increasingly finding it not worth their while. The consequence of lower supply and higher demand is creating very high rental prices, and rather than supporting really tough market conditions for tenants the Bill is actually making it worse for them.”

Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association said “Our focus has been on ensuring that when section 21 repossessions end, the replacement system works and is fair, to both tenants and responsible landlords.

“Tenants should rightly be empowered to hold rogue and criminal landlords to account to root out the minority who bring the sector into disrepute. However, it is vital that the majority of responsible landlords have confidence in the Bill to provide the homes for rent the country needs. The amendments proposed by the Government strike that balance.

“It is now important to provide certainty to the market, so it can transition smoothly to the new system.  We therefore call on MPs to ensure swift passage of the Bill through Parliament with the Government’s planned changes. This should be underpinned by action to improve the justice system for renters and landlords alike.” 

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said “Tenants are coughing up millions in unwanted and unwarranted moves, while the government runs scared of a minority of its own MPs. Instead of striking dodgy deals with backbenchers to strangle the Renters Reform Bill, Ministers should defend renters’ best hope of a stable home.

“With protections from eviction so weak and rents so high, we constantly hear from people forced out of their homes and communities at huge personal cost. It’s impossible for renters to put down roots knowing a no-fault eviction could plunge them back into chaos at any moment.

“With the Bill’s third reading imminent, it’s now or never for the government to make good on its promise to deliver a watertight Bill. It must resist spurious attempts to sneak fixed-term tenancies back in, and to indefinitely delay the ban on no-fault evictions. England’s 11 million tenants will remember all too well who fought for them when they finally head to the ballot box.”