After much debate in the Houses of Parliament, the Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent on 27 October and officially entered law.
According to Secretary of State Steve Reed, “This is a historic moment for renters across the country and we’re proud to deliver it.”
Now known as the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA), the new regime aims to improve the lives of 11 million private renters, as well as 2.3 million landlords, in England. One of the biggest changes was getting rid of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, which were seen to cause instability for renters.
While many people welcome these improvements, others fear increased red tape and difficulties for landlords. Whatever their opinion, everyone can agree that the RRA brings a huge shake-up to the private rented sector.
We await an implementation timetable
The government is yet to say when the new rules will be implemented in 2026. Talking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Steve Reed said he would soon share a timetable.
For now, landlords should familiarise themselves with the new rules and figure out how to update their systems.
Landlords and tenants need to get ready
Some rules will likely take immediate effect, whereas others will give industry professionals more time to adapt to the new way of working. As we wait for specific updates, let’s look at some of the last-minute decisions on the RRA:
No mandatory pet insurance
After some back and forth, the government decided that landlords can’t require their tenants with pets to take out pet damage insurance. They must, however, properly consider a tenant’s request to keep a pet. Here’s more information on the rights of pet owners.
Restrictions on rent in advance and student lets
Landlords won’t be able to ask for more than one month’s rent in advance. They will also need to observe restrictions on requiring students to sign rental agreements more than six months in advance. Read up on rent in advance.
Backdating of rent increases
Under the new rules of Section 13, if a tenant thinks a rent increase is unfair, they can appeal to the First-Tier Property Tribunal. On learning this, landlords and industry professionals argued that court backlogs could lead to drawn-out legal battles. The government has now made it clear that the rent increase can be backdated to the original date. Here’s more on what Section 13 means for putting up the rent.
A clearer future for the private rented sector
Following the Royal Assent, Ben Beadle from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) commented: “After years of debate and uncertainty, today marks an important milestone for the private rented sector. With the Renters’ Rights Act on the statute book, the sector needs certainty about the way forward.”
Indeed, renters and landlords alike will benefit from understanding how things are changing. For full details, you can download a PDF of the Renters’ Rights Act legislation. And look out for more industry news and updates here on the Winkworth blog and newsletter.
