Renters (Reform) Bill completes its Third Reading

The Government's Renters (Reform) Bill has completed its Commons stages and should now have no more than a few months in the House of Lords.

When the Renters (Reform) Bill returned to the House of Commons for its Report Stage and Third Reading last week, it brought with it over 200 amendments after a long period of delay. With this stage now completed, the Bill is now set to undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords.

The Government has heeded the concerns of landlords and made changes to fixed-term tenancies and the evaluation of the county court possession system prior to the abolition of Section 21. However, the government failed to recognize the advantages of allowing tenants and landlords to opt for fixed-term tenancies when mutually beneficial, which could particularly affect segments of the rental market such as students.

The Third Reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill was the final opportunity for the Commons to discuss the Bill's contents before it moved to the House of Lords. Now introduced to the Lords, the Bill will undergo further debate and committee sessions, during which additional amendments may be proposed.

The Labour party has signaled its intention to reintroduce amendments previously rejected during the Commons Committee stage, including the removal of the new Ground 8a for repeated rent arrears, the prohibition of rental bidding wars, and the extension of Awaab's Law to the Private Rented Sector.

The Renters (Reform) Bill took over a year to complete its Commons stages but should have no more than a few months in the Lords before it becomes law - providing the General Election doesn’t intervene, killing the Bill should polling day happen before the Lords stages complete.

If you have any questions regarding the bill, what this means to you as a landlord or want any further information, please contact one of our specialist lettings team via our contact form or call 0161 511 5339.