The Renter Reform Bill – the latest updates on progress
The Renter’s Reform Bill proposes to make a number of key changes to the processes and rules that govern landlord and tenant law. Primarily, the bill seeks to abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to prevent tenants from being evicted without a clear ground.
The first reading of the bill in parliament was carried out in May 2023 but the second reading is yet to be scheduled.
There were concerns that the bill would be delayed, however it has been reported that Michael Gove has confirmed the Second Reading will take place later this autumn, when Parliament reconvenes after the Party conference recess.
Michael Gove stated “You can’t have an effective housing market, or provision of the homes we need, without having a variety of different types of tenure. A route to homeownership, a private rented sector that facilitates labour mobility among other things, and socially rented homes in order to help people who are, for whatever reason, eligible for, and deserving of, that level of support.”
To ensure a thriving housing market, landlords must have confidence that the private rented sector is a good place to invest. The reforms must strike a balance between landlord and tenant to ensure landlords are able to utilise the grounds for possession and evict quickly and efficiently where necessary.
At this moment, there is much more discourse on the bill than there is action. Even if the bill begins gaining real traction through the parliamentary process, there are a number of stages still to go.
There must be the second reading, the committee stage, the report stage, third reading and lastly royal assent.
As such, we could still be a long way away from the bill coming into force. In turn, the bill could change as it moves through these stages. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict how the final bill will look.
Our legal providers, Woodstock Legal Services, have a team of expert lawyers who pride themselves on staying up to date with sector developments, and so you can be confident The Lettings Hub and Woodstock will keep you updated.
