Renters and landlords ‘in the dark’ on new law, Labour warned
The UK’s landlord lobby group has warned that renters and landlords ‘desperately’ need more clarity on the rollout of the government’s Renters Rights Bill.
The bill, which was debated in the House of Commons on Monday, is expected to receive Royal Assent in late 2025 and to become law in early 2026.
It is one of Labour’s flagship policies and aims to rebalance the relationship between landlords and tenants by abolishing “no-fault” evictions, improving property standards and regulating rent increases.
But Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), warned that the government “needs to make clear how long after this it expects to begin rolling out the widespread reforms”.
“The sector cannot operate, and plan, based on vague and ambiguous statements,” Beadle said.
“At least six months will be needed, after regulations are passed, to ensure a smooth transition to the new tenancy system. Anything less will be a recipe for confusion and chaos.”
Commons shoots down Lords amendments
The House of Commons has rejected almost all amendments to the bill proposed by the House of Lords, including a change designed to protect the annual cycle of one-and two-bedroom student properties.
“Around a third of housing typically lived in by those in their second year of study and above is one- and two-bedroom properties.
“Under current proposals, neither landlords nor students will have certainty that this type of housing will be available from one academic year to the next”, Beadle said.
Greg Tsuman, managing director for Lettings, Martyn Gerrard Estate Agents, said that the Lords’ amendments were “injections of common sense”.
“[The bill] as it stands reveals the government’s fundamental misunderstanding of the private rented sector… A more consultative approach would have yielded a much better piece of legislation,” Tsuman said.
He warned that if landlords feel “neglected or pushed out” by the bill, the UK will not have a fairly balanced rental sector.
“Renters, now more than ever, need professional landlords who are willing to stay in the market and invest further so rents don’t continue to climb,” he said.