Details of the Renters Rights Bill Announced in the King’s Speech

Blink and you’d miss it but, in a packed King’s Speech that contained references to 40 Bills and draft Bills, there was an announcement of the new Labour Government’s planned Renter’s Rights Bill.

His Majesty King Charles III said:

“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.”

The King’s Speech is necessarily short, but the Government published over 90 pages of accompanying background briefing notes, which included a whole section laying out what to expect from their Renters Rights Bill.

The Renters’ Rights Bill is planned as a complete overhaul of the private rented sector. We’ve been here before, of course, with the previous administration’s Renters (Reform) Bill which didn’t make it past its second reading in the House of Lords before the election was called.

It looks like the Renters’ Rights Bill covers a lot of the same ground as the abandoned Renters (Reform) Bill, and in some aspects goes a bit further. These are the elements that are being tabled and, with the government’s large majority, likely to go through the House of Commons relatively unchanged.

• Abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’. New clear and expanded possession grounds will be introduced so landlords can reclaim their properties if they need to.
• A strengthening of tenants’ rights and protections. This will include the right for tenants to challenge unfair rent increases. And the right for those on benefits or with children not to be discriminated against.
• The right to keep a pet. A right that landlords may not unreasonably refuse.
• Decent Homes Standard applied to the private rented sector for the first time.
• ‘Awaab’s Law’. This will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes to make homes safe where they contain serious hazards such as mould.
• Creation of a digital private rented sector database. Tenants will be able to access information to inform choices when entering new tenancies.
• Quicker, cheaper dispute resolution. An ombudsman is to be appointed to reduce the need to go to court.
• New enforcement powers for local councils. Making it easier for councils to identify and fine unscrupulous landlords.

At Pearl Lettings, we take our responsibilities as a letting agent very seriously. We stay up-to-date with changing legislation and support our landlords and tenants with information about how they can best meet their own contractual responsibilities. Reform has been promised in our sector for so long, that we have had plenty of time to prepare. Our own standards tend to be higher than statutory minimums anyway - as we, too, want our tenants to live in safe housing, paying a fair rent.

If you are a landlord interested in working with us to provide a high quality rented property that a tenant would love to call "home", contact Pearl Lettings on 01603 980770 or email hello@pearllettings.co.uk and a member of our team will get back to you.