The Renters’ Rights Bill – Consideration of Lords Amendments
Further to our recent reports on the many days of debate that took place at the House of Lords Committee Stage, the House of Commons has now considered the amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill proposed by the Lords.
The proposed amendments included allowing a landlord to require a “pet deposit” and reducing the period in which landlords are restricted from re-letting their property, from 12 months to 6 months.
We know that Labour are very keen for their legislation to be brought in with only limited amendments so that they can deliver their “manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting”. As expected, therefore, on Monday the House of Commons rejected nearly all of the Lords’ proposed amendments. A few very minor amendments were agreed: for example, the Government tabled a small change to the existing 5A ground for possession to allow for the eviction of tenants to allow for the housing of agricultural workers. Matthew Pennycook said:
“the Government have tabled amendments in lieu that narrowly expand ground 5A to allow agricultural landlords to evict assured tenants in order to house both employees and non-employed workers engaged in agriculture. We believe this small technical change will support the Government’s clear intention of ensuring that the agricultural sector can continue to function effectively without compromising wider security of tenure.”
It appears that the government would like the bill to receive Royal Assent before the Labour Party conference starts on 28 September 2025. This does not mean that the changes will be implemented immediately, however, and there is likely to be a transitional period before all the secondary legislation required to make the legislation work is passed. It is expected that the main changes, including the abolition of s21 notices, will come into force in early 2026.
We are preparing a comprehensive summary of the changes which will be introduced by the Renters’ Rights Bill. In the meantime, please feel free to contact Forsters’ Real Estate Disputes team should you require any advice.
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