Renters’ Rights Bill Nears Approval: Changes Ahead for Residential Lettings
The Renters’ Rights Bill has replaced the previously proposed Renters (Reform) Bill and is now progressing through the House of Lords. Once it obtains Royal Assent, it will introduce a large number of changes to the residential lettings sector.
The main focus of the Bill is to abolish section 21 evictions, often called “no-fault” evictions, and move to a structure where all tenancies are “rolling” periodic tenancies which will provide greater security for tenants and restrict the use of the Section 21 notices by landlords to evict tenants. New tenancies will no longer be Assured Shorthold Tenancies which have been in place since the Housing Act 1988.
The landlord’s grounds for possession will still be found in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 which will be added to and amended. The notice periods to be given to tenants will also be extended for certain grounds, notably where the landlord is seeking possession due to rent arrears. Statutory procedures for increasing the rent and the tenant’s ability to challenge rent increases will be changed and there will be a ban on discriminating against tenants who have children or who are in receipt of benefits.
Other changes will see tenants having the right to ask their landlord for permission to keep pets, a new duty on landlords to provide tenants with a written statement of terms and information, on or before the first day of a tenancy agreement coming into force, a private sector landlord database and Ombudsman, a Decent Homes Standard and revised sanctions for landlords that breach their statutory obligations.
The Bill will pass and be implemented at some point next year.
BRM are monitoring the Bill as it passes through its various stages and will keep you updated.
If you have any questions, please contact a member of our Property Litigation Team.
