Landlords & Tenants…
The Renters Reform Bill continues its journey through Parliament but what changes does it seek to bring and what could that mean for both landlords and tenants in 2025? Stephen Warren Forbes’ Solicitors Technical Conveyancer and Property Support Lawyer explains
In early February 2025 the Renters Reform Bill (hereinafter ‘the Bill’) passed its second reading in the House of Lords. The Bill still has a little way to go before it becomes law, but it is expected to receive Royal Assent this spring with an implementation date to be confirmed in due course.
There has been quite a bit of publicity around this Bill. The previous Government tried and failed to push a previous version through and the issue of rent reform was one of the few issues that seemed to receive unanimous approval amongst the main political parties during the last election.
What is it though that makes this Bill so important? The answer will depend on which side of the fence you find yourself. If you are a landlord with a residential property portfolio then I would suggest it is of paramount importance to understand the proposed changes that are being introduced.
What is interesting is that the Government is claiming that the Bill will improve life for both tenants and landlords. In the words of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: “The bill will improve the current system for both the 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords in England.”
Will this be the case though? Many landlords have already expressed significant concern, for instance about ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and this is only one of the key parts of the Bill.
Under current legislation a landlord retains the right to recover possession by serving a notice pursuant to S21 of the Housing Act 1988. They are coined ‘no fault’ evictions as the landlord does not need a reason to serve notice – so long as they give the tenant notice complying with relevant time frames and conditions, then it will be valid. There need not be any default on the part of the tenant. This creates uncertainty for tenants because once they are outside of a fixed term they become vulnerable to a landlord serving a S21 notice at any moment. The Bill seeks to do away with S21 evictions, which is a concern to many current private landlords.
There are far more changes the Bill seeks to introduce that this article can cover in detail, but these include:
• Strengthening Section 8 evictions (as a compromise for landlords regardind the loss of S21 evictions).
• The removal of fixed-term tenancies.
• Changes to how landlords can increase rent.
• Tenant rights in relation to pets.
• The introduction of the landlord redress scheme and the private rented sector database.
• The Decent Homes Standard applying to private rented landlords.
There is a fine line that the Government needs to tread. On the one hand they want to introduce changes that will mean greater stability for tenants and create a fairer rental market for all. That needs to be balanced out with landlords retaining the right to access their properties for legitimate reasons and not to overburden landlords with further regulation. Whether or not the Bill, as currently drafted, achieves these aims this article will not attempt to answer. Whether such a balance can be achieved we will see in time.
For the moment for those involved on both sides, but particularly landlords, it is important to seek support from specialist lawyers to help you understand what your responsibilities and rights are going to be moving forward. It may be wise to be proactive rather than reactive.
To speak to a Property Lawyer contact Stephen Warren on 0333 207 1130 or email: stephen.warren@forbessolicitors.co.uk
