What's happening with the Renters' Rights Bill?

The fight to abolish section 21 'no fault' evictions is entering its final stage.

After months of waiting, the Renters' Rights Bill is reaching the end of its journey through parliament and could soon become law.

With most of the debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords finished, the final stages of the bill's journey will begin early in September. But renters can’t truly wave goodbye to the spectre of section 21 evictions until the government passes the bill and then brings these changes into force.

The government promised to ban section 21 evictions 'immediately' over a year ago. Yet peers in the House of Lords have slowed down the process and weakened vital tenant rights.

MPs have the opportunity to claim back those important rights for renters and push through a strong Renters' Rights Bill at pace. Renters can't wait much longer.

What happened in the House of Lords?

Before the turn of the new year, the Renters' Rights Bill had made rapid progress through its early stages in the House of Commons. Renters won vital protections in the process, including a game-changing ban on landlords asking for more than one month's rent in advance.

More recently, the bill has been marked by slow progress and delays. As a result, one year on from their election, the government have not passed any new laws to protect renters. And there has still been no timeline attached to when 'no fault' evictions will finally be scrapped.

All the while, renters are being evicted in their thousands.

In the year after Labour were elected, around 25,000 households have been threatened with homelessness due to a section 21 'no fault' eviction (and this continues to rise).

And in that time, we’ve also seen some potentially damaging row-backs made to the bill. A disproportionate number of peers in the House of Lords are landlords themselves. They have debated and voted through some worrying revisions. These changes, if held up in the bill's final stages, would weaken tenants' rights:

The evidence bar for issuing landlords with fines was increased.

Local authorities, under this change, would have to prove 'beyond reasonable doubt' that a landlord had broken the rules. Only then would they be able to hit them with a fine. Vital new rights in the bill would be rendered almost worthless – such as the protection of families with children and benefits recipients from discrimination. Discrimination is particularly 'slippery' and almost impossible to prove 'beyond reasonable doubt'.

The 'no reletting period' was reduced from 12 to 6 months.

The 'no reletting period' prevents landlords, who say they're evicting to move into the property or sell it, from putting the property up for rent again afterwards. It deters landlords from evicting tenants under false pretences just to find a new tenant or let at a higher rent.

Reducing this period to 6 months weakens that deterrent and puts the new system at risk of abuse by unscrupulous landlords. We could see many renters continue to be unfairly evicted.

A new right for landlords to ask for an extra three weeks' deposit for tenants with pets was introduced.

Tenants with pets could have to pay eight weeks' deposit in total, on top of moving costs and the first month's rent. The five-week cap on deposits was a hard-fought right for renters. Increasing the cap for pet owners risks creating an unequal market. Renters with pets could be locked out of rentals by unreasonably large upfront costs.

These last-minute revisions to the bill are not good news for renters. But the government has a strong majority in the House of Commons and a clear manifesto promise to end 'no fault' evictions. They have both the power and the responsibility to resist these changes from the House of Lords.

More than that, ministers must recognise the urgency of the moment. The Renters' Rights Bill needs to become law without further delay. And crucially, it must be brought into force swiftly and in full. Every day of inaction means more renters losing their homes through no fault of their own. Renters can't afford to keep waiting.

What happens next?

There are three stages remaining before the Renters' Rights Bill becomes law.

1. 'Ping pong'

Next up is what's known as 'consideration of amendments'. MPs debate all changes made by the House of Lords and vote on whether to accept them. If MPs reject the changes, the bill goes back to the House of Lords for peers to review these decisions. Peers can insist on changes, propose compromise positions – or, of course, concede defeat and accept MPs' decisions.

The bill can bounce back and forth between the houses like this – a process known as 'ping pong' – several times, until consensus is reached.

2. Royal Assent

Once the bill is acceptable to both houses, it’s scheduled for 'Royal Assent'. Royal Assent refers to when the King signs the bill, and it finally becomes an Act of Parliament. This is the moment that signals an end to all the debates, amendments and wrangling over the bill's contents.

3. Commencement

However, in the case of the Renters' Rights Bill, there's yet another crucial date to be concerned with: the 'commencement' date.

This is when the most important changes are actually implemented and make a tangible difference to renters' lives. It's the moment section 21 evictions will officially be scrapped. Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without giving a reason.

The commencement date could come some months after Royal Assent. This will give landlords and tenants time to prepare for their new rights and responsibilities.

Renters need a date

The government has yet to announce the commencement date.

Until they do, renters won't know when they'll be able to finally wave goodbye to 'no fault' evictions. And with every day that passes before actually bringing these vital changes into force, more renters will be forced out of their homes for no reason at all.

The government must get a move on. They must pass this bill without delay and give renters certainty about when their new rights will come into effect.

Be part of our campaign. Tell Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook that we’re done with delays to renters' rights.