House of Lords concludes 2nd Reading of the Renters’ Rights Bill

Yesterday 4th February 2025 saw the 2nd Reading of the Renters’ Rights Bill. We knew it would be a significant and crucial milestone in the journey of the Bill.

 

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Opened the proceedings by stating :”The private rental system needs to change. It currently provides the least affordable, poorest quality and most insecure housing of all tenures. The insecurity it engenders creates uncertainty in the lives of tenants and allows good landlords to be undercut by the minority of rogues and chancers. In short, the 11 million private renters and the 2.3 million landlords across England are being failed. The Renters’ Rights Bill brings forward the most significant changes to the sector for nearly 40 years. The Bill will strengthen the security of tenure for tenants; ensure that they are paying a fair rent; guarantee a minimum standard that they can expect from a property; provide new robust avenues to redress; and more.”

What followed was just over 4 hours of debate from Peers who presented questions put to them from parties with a vested interest in the PRS. Each Peer declared their interests, a great number, unsurprisingly, are landlords.

 

We were presented with information of which we were already aware - statistics re; the number evictions that took place via Accelerated Possession, comparisons being made with social housing tenures, references to poor property condition across the England, tenants, concerns regarding restrictions on advanced rent, reliance on the S13(2) notice to increase rent and the role of the First tier Tribunal (FTT), and so much more.

 

The debate was interesting as the Peers presented their thoughts and the opinions of others of how this Bill should progress, what amendments must be considered, and the impact on the Private Rented Sector.

 

Some of the key questions raised by the Lords were as follows:-

 

Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab):

 

“My Lords, I thank my noble friend for bringing forward this important Bill. Does she agree that the abolition of Section 21 no-fault evictions is long overdue and will provide much-needed security for renters?”

Baroness Thornhill (LD):

 

“My Lords, I welcome the Bill and the protections it offers to renters. However, can the Minister clarify how the Government intend to ensure that landlords do not exploit the new possession grounds to circumvent the abolition of Section 21?”

Lord Best (CB):

 

“My Lords, I support the Bill’s objectives. Could the Minister provide more details on the proposed rent increase mechanisms and how they will prevent landlords from imposing unfair rent hikes?”

Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (Lab):

 

“My Lords, I commend the Government’s commitment to improving renters’ rights. What measures are in place to ensure that the new periodic tenancy system will not lead to increased instability for tenants?”

Lord Shipley (LD):

 

“My Lords, while the Bill addresses many concerns, how will the Government ensure that the removal of fixed-term tenancies does not adversely affect the student rental market?”

 

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP):

 

“My Lords, the Bill proposes significant changes. Can the Minister explain how the Government plan to enforce the new standards and protections to ensure compliance across the private rented sector?”

Lord Young of Cookham (Con):

“My Lords, I welcome the Bill’s focus on tenant security. However, what safeguards are in place to protect landlords from tenants who may exploit the new regulations to avoid legitimate eviction?”

Baroness Grender (LD):

“My Lords, the introduction of a single periodic tenancy system is a substantial shift. How will the Government support both tenants and landlords in transitioning to this new system?”

 

Lord Kerslake (CB):

“My Lords, the Bill aims to balance the interests of tenants and landlords. Can the Minister provide evidence that the proposed possession grounds are sufficient to protect landlords’ legitimate interests?”

Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Lab):

“My Lords, I appreciate the Government’s efforts to enhance renters’ rights. What provisions are included in the Bill to support vulnerable tenants who may struggle to understand or exercise their new rights?”

Lord Stunell (LD):

“My Lords, the Bill’s success will depend on effective implementation. How do the Government plan to monitor and evaluate the impact of these reforms on the private rented sector?”

 

There were interesting comments made about the inclusion of other tenures that had not been factored into the Bill and other unintended consequences that needed to be discussed.

 

However, one of the key pressing points raised related to time frames and how the legislation would be rolled out to allow for those within the sector, local authorities and other stakeholders to be ready for what will be the renters rights act 2025.

 

One of the key pressing points raised most time frames and how the legislation would be rolled out to allow for those within the sector and also local authorities and other stakeholders to be ready for what will be the renters rights act 2025.

 

Credit: Susie Crolla (GLM)