The Renters’ Rights Bill will return to the House of Lords on October 14 for its final stages before moving on to Royal Assent.

It had originally been expected that the legislation would pass before Labour’s annual conference later this month, but political changes — including the resignation of former Housing Secretary Angela Rayner — have shifted the timetable. The Government has now confirmed that the Bill will return after the main party conference season, entering the “ping-pong” process where any rejected amendments can be re-examined and resubmitted. Ministers are widely expected to oppose major changes at this stage.

Key points about the Renters’ Rights Bill

Bill is still on track to become law

The Renters’ Rights Bill remains on course to pass soon. Most reforms will take effect immediately once enacted, including the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, new possession grounds, the end of fixed-term tenancies, and tighter rules on rent-in-advance. Other elements — such as the national landlord database and a potential Ombudsman scheme — will roll out later after a transition period.

No separate pet deposit

Plans to allow landlords to take an additional pet deposit of up to three weeks’ rent have been rejected. The Government says the current five-week cap is sufficient and increasing it would place extra financial strain on renters.

No mandatory pet insurance

A proposal to require tenants to take out pet insurance has also been dropped. The Government highlighted that the insurance industry is not yet ready to provide suitable large-scale products. Tenants may still choose pet insurance voluntarily, but landlords cannot enforce it.

12-Month re-letting restriction retained

The House of Lords proposed cutting from 12 months to six the time a landlord must wait before re-letting a property after asking a tenant to leave in order to sell. This was rejected to prevent abuse of repossession grounds, so the full 12-month restriction stays in place.

Student possession grounds unchanged

The Government also turned down an amendment to extend student housing possession grounds to smaller properties such as one- or two-bedroom flats. It said current rules strike the right balance, protecting students who don’t fit the typical shared-house model, such as postgraduates or students with dependents.

Are you prepared for the changes that the Renters' Rights Bill will bring? Now might be the right time to switch to our full management service which includes a range of services designed to make renting out your property easy and stress-free. Call us on 0161 511 5339 or complete our contact form to find out more.