The Tenants’ Bill of Rights has entered Royal Assent today, the final step before the wide-ranging bill becomes law.
The House of Commons has completed formal consideration of a series of Lords amendments to the bill aimed at ending bidding wars between landlords and agents, abolishing fixed-term tenancies and banning section 21 no-fault properties.
The bill, first introduced in September last year, also applies decent housing standards to the private rented sector for the first time, affecting around 11 million tenants and 2.8 million landlords.
Official figures today showed that average UK rents rose by 5.5% in the year to September to £1,354, while inflation over the same period remained at 3.8% for a third month running.
Nathan Emerson, chief executive of Propertymark, said: “The end of today’s debate marks another clear step forward in renters’ rights legislation and brings us one step closer to the most significant reform of the private rented sector in England for decades.
“While there are still important details to be finalized, there is no doubt that significant changes are coming. Letting agents and landlords must start preparing now.
“Filling action may be left behind once the legislation comes into force. Propertymark continues to call for clear guidance, realistic timetables and workable solutions that recognize the operational realities for agents and landlords.”
Proposals to end no-fault evictions and other tenant reforms were first introduced in the Conservative Party’s 2019 election manifesto.
This led to the Conservatives introducing the Renters (Reform) Bill in 2023, but it had expired by the time of the July 2024 national election.
William Reeve, chief executive of Goodlord, said: “After too many false starts, it’s done. Three and a half years after it was first mentioned in the Queen’s Speech, this ground-breaking legislation is now finally on the statute books.
“Today’s Commons appearance is primarily a formality following last week’s House of Lords debate which resolved most of the outstanding issues.
“The bill will now receive royal assent and the government will announce its implementation plan in the coming weeks.”
Charles Roe, UK Mortgage Finance Director, added: “The Tenants’ Rights Bill is a positive step for tenants and the housing market. The scale of the reforms means speed of implementation is crucial.”
“Lenders, landlords, tenants and agents will need sufficient time to adjust systems and processes so that the bill delivers its intended benefits smoothly and uninterruptedly.”
