Renters’ Rights Bill 2024-25: Progress of the bill

Report stage and third reading of the Renters’ Rights Bill (127 of 2024–25), as amended in public bill committee, are scheduled for 14 January 2025. This briefing provides an overview of the progress of the bill through the House of Commons prior to report stage.

The bill, together with its explanatory notes, impact assessment and transcripts of the parliamentary stages, are available on the parliament.uk website: Renters’ Rights Bill.

What would the bill do?

The bill implements commitments in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto to reform the regulation of the private rented sector and is intended to “give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including by abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and reforming grounds for possession”. Most of the bill’s provisions apply only to England.

The bill builds on the Renters (Reform) Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons by the Conservative government on 17 May 2023. The Renters (Reform) Bill did not complete all its parliamentary stages before the dissolution of Parliament in May 2024.

The Commons Library briefing, Renters’ Rights Bill 2024-25, describes the bill as it was originally introduced and explains its policy background.

Second reading in the Commons

The Renters’ Rights Bill (8 of 2024–25) was introduced in the House of Commons on 11 September 2024 and had its second reading on 9 October 2024.

During the debate, many MPs gave examples of the significant challenges faced by tenants renting privately in their constituencies, and broadly welcomed the bill’s provisions.

Some MPs expressed concerns about the reforms, particularly in relation to:

• the capacity of the courts and tribunals system

• the supply of student accommodation

• resources for local authority enforcement

Several MPs called on the government to go further with their reforms, for example by:

• introducing rent controls

• preventing landlords from asking for rent in advance and requiring rent guarantors

• compensating tenants when they were evicted through no fault of their own

The Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, indicated he would continue to consider several issues as the bill progressed, in particular: landlord requirements for rent in advance; and the bill’s effect on the student rental market.

The Official Opposition tabled a reasoned amendment declining to give a second reading to the bill. The amendment was put to a vote and rejected (ayes: 104; noes: 424).

Public bill committee in the Commons

The bill was considered by a public bill committee over eight sittings in October and November 2024. The committee took oral evidence from expert witnesses during the first two sittings.

The government tabled 40 amendments to the bill, all of which were agreed. The majority of the amendments were minor, technical or consequential. The more substantive changes to the bill included to:

• give the court the power to order a landlord to pay compensation to a tenant where possession was obtained under new ground 6A. This ground would enable landlords to regain possession of their property if they were subject to enforcement action and needed to regain possession to become compliant.

• enable regulations to require landlords to provide relevant property information to the administrator of a landlord redress scheme. The information would have to be provided on application to become a member of the scheme and be kept up to date.

Opposition MPs tabled 55 amendments to the bill (of which 14 were new clauses), none of which were agreed. These included amendments to:

• exempt all full-time students from the new periodic assured tenancy regime.

• allow fixed-term tenancies to continue where a landlord and tenant mutually agreed to them.

• reduce the notice period for the ground for possession 1A (selling the property) from four to two months.

• lower the threshold for use of the discretionary anti-social behaviour ground 14 from “likely” to “capable” of causing nuisance or annoyance.

• make all grounds for repossession discretionary for the court.

• reduce the notice period for the new ground for possession 4A (properties rented to students for occupation by new students) from four months to two weeks.

• increase the proposed period of protection against eviction under possession ground 1 (occupation by landlord or family) and 1A (selling the property) from one to two years.

• limit in-tenancy rent increases to no greater than the Bank of England base rate.

• enable rent increases, when challenged at a tribunal, to be backdated to the date the landlord first proposed.

• require the government to consult on whether First-tier Tribunals were appropriately resourced to manage any additional workload arising from the bill.

• require the government to consult with the insurance sector to ensure that appropriate pet damage insurance products were available.

• prevent tenants from ending a tenancy in the first six months of a new tenancy.

• require the Lord Chancellor to publish an assessment of the operation of possession proceedings for rented properties before the bill’s provisions could be commenced.

• limit the amount of rent which could be asked for or paid in advance of a tenancy to one month’s rent.

• remove the ability of local authorities to designate areas as subject to the selective licensing of private landlords.

• protect bereaved guarantors by prohibiting the application of a guarantor agreement in the event of the death of a tenant.

• restrict the circumstances in which a landlord could request a guarantor.

The Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, undertook to give further consideration to some of the issues raised.

He also committed to write to committee members to provide clarification on a number of technical and specific points.

Amendments at report stage in the Commons

The amendments tabled to date for the bill’s report stage can be viewed on the parliament.uk website: Renters’ Rights Bill.

The government amendments include provisions to:

• restrict the payment of rent in advance

• limit a guarantor’s liability for rent following the death of the tenant

• introduce a new ground for possession of alternative accommodation provided during redevelopment