The Renters Reform Bill playbook

This is a guide to what the Renters Reform Bill could and should change for renters.

It will unpack what is written in the bill right now. But it will also explain what needs to be added or amended.

The Renters Reform Bill is still being worked on in Parliament. None of these proposed changes will become reality until it is passed. This means we have an unmissable chance to influence what goes in it. This bill must be strengthened so it works to give renters a better system. Skip to the section of change you're most interested in by using the links in the contents. Then click the arrows on each box to read more.  

CONTENTS

• Ending unfair evictions
• Helping renters if they are evicted
• Creating a sector without discrimination
• Professionalising and creating accountability in the sector
• Making private renting more affordable
• Changing the laws on anti-social behavior (ASB)

• Section 21 will be scrapped

  The bill will scrap Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. Instead, landlords will only be able to evict someone ‘fairly’ when they provide a legitimate reason. After a landlord has issued the eviction notice, renters can either move out as asked, or they can wait out the notice period to be evicted through the legal process. After this time, a landlord can apply to the court for a “possession order” (which is basically a ruling from the court that the renter needs to leave). At court, the judge decides if the eviction should go ahead.

  Two key legitimate reasons for eviction in the new system will be needing to sell the property and needing the property back so the landlord or the family member can move in. It will be down to the court to decide if the landlord has proven they’re really planning to sell up or move in. But there is very little detail on what evidence should be provided to prove these intentions. We’re campaigning for clearer rules on what evidence might be enough to warrant an eviction in these cases.

• Renters will have a ‘protected period’ of time where they can’t be evicted

  Landlords can evict a tenant after a “protected period” of time if they want to sell up, move in, or move a family member in. Right now, this period is 6-months. But we’re campaigning to extend it to 2-years. This would mean renters can truly settle into their homes and communities. No longer will they need to live in fear of an eviction that would uproot their life. It also gives renters more time to save money, instead of regularly spending it on expensive moving costs.

• Landlords can’t pretend that they need their home back, before renting it out again anyway

  If a landlord evicts someone to sell the property or for personal use, a 'no relet' period will be imposed. This prevents them from renting it out again for a certain time. Currently, this period is only 3 months. But 3 months is not a strong enough deterrent to unscrupulous landlords who want to continue to evict tenants unfairly. Many will be happy to wait out the 3 months and put the property back up for rent. We're campaigning for the no relet period to be 12 months.

  If the landlord does break this rule, they can face criminal charges or fines of up to £30,000, but landlords are only likely to be caught if tenants report them. And without an incentive, tenants are unlikely to do this. We're campaigning for tenants to have the right to compensation, if their previous landlord is found to have broken the ‘no relet’ rule.

• Renters will sign contracts that don't have an end date

  There will be no more fixed term contracts. This can lock renters into unsuitable or poor-quality rentals. Most renters will sign a contract that hasn’t got an end date. This is known as a rolling or open-ended contract. Tenants will be able to tell their landlord they want to move out with two months' notice, at any time. Plus, the landlord will have to give a legitimate reason to evict them. This is good news for tenants.

• When renters are evicted, most of them will still only have two months to find a new home...

  For most evictions, notice periods will stay at two months. We know this isn’t long enough. We’re campaigning to double this to 4 months' notice. This will relieve some of the stress of finding a new, suitable and affordable home in very little time and better protect renters from homelessness. For renters being evicted because of ‘serious’ arrears (if a renter pays rent monthly, serious arrears would be if a tenant owes 2-months rent), notice periods will change from 2-weeks to 4-weeks. But anyone served an eviction for anti-social behaviour will get no notice at all. Scroll down to the section about ‘anti-social behaviour evictions’ to read more.

• Renters will no longer be entitled to early help from the council if they are given an eviction notice

  Right now, renters have the automatic right to get early help from the council if they are given an eviction notice. Early help (or ‘prevention') might mean the council can help tenants sort out rent arrears so they can remain in their home, or mediate to resolve any problems between them and the landlord. But the government is proposing to take this right away. This means councils will not be obligated by law to provide prevention assistance. This change in law could increase homelessness. We can’t let this happen. We’re campaigning to change this part of the bill, so renters can keep their access to early help if they need it.

• It will be illegal to ban anyone in receipt of benefits or anyone with kids from renting a home

  The bill will make it directly illegal for landlords and agents to have blanket bans on renting to people with children or in receipt of benefits. This is a great first step. But we know it won’t fully stamp out discrimination. We are campaigning to add new rules to the bill that tackle the informal barriers that stop renters getting homes they could otherwise afford. This means a ban on asking for more than 1 months’ rent in advance. It also means restricting landlord demands for a renter to provide a high-earning or home-owning guarantor. We know this is impossible to find for some renters.

• The bill will introduce a landlord register, which will be called a 'property portal', where tenants can see information about their landlord

  The property portal will be a database of landlords and the homes which they let. It will include information about landlords who have received a banning order, a conviction or a financial penalty. It will also be a place where landlords must upload key documents, such as gas safety certificates. We are campaigning to make sure it also records how much rent someone is paying, so people can challenge unfair rent hikes. It should also log when an eviction is served. This would mean councils could keep track of any landlord breaking the law on the “protected period” and the “no relet period”.

• Challenging big rent increases will remain difficult

  The bill restricts rent increases to once a year. Renters will be given two months’ notice before the rent goes up. If a renter wants to challenge the increase (which already takes a lot of time and effort), a tribunal could decide the rent should be even higher. This is a big risk that puts renters off challenging the rent rises in the first place.

• There will be very little stopping landlords from hiking rents up massively

  There's no limit on the proportion landlords can increase the rent by, even though in theory it should not exceed the price for similar properties in the same area. This means landlords could continue to evict people unfairly by simply hiking the rent by a large amount. We're campaigning for fair limits to rent increases, so that tenants can't be forced out of their homes by huge rent hikes.

• Notice periods have been reduced and definitions have changed

  If someone has been convicted of an offence, the notice period has been reduced from 4 weeks to 0. And for low level ASB (otherwise known as "nuisance and annoyance", the notice period is also 0. This means landlords will be able to apply to court for what's known as a "possession order" immediately, giving tenants who've been wrongly accused very little time to seek legal help. This risks homelessness for people who are already likely to be vulnerable.

  The definition for low level ASB evictions, has been changed from behaviour “likely to cause nuisance or annoyance” to behaviour “capable of causing nuisance or annoyance”. This definition is wider. Nuisance and annoyance perceived by neighbours is often aimed towards people who may have mental health needs that are not being met. It can also be linked to domestic abuse cases, where there may be more shouting and arguing. We’re concerned about these changes. We’re calling for tenants to be properly protected against unfair or unreasonable accusations of ASB, and to be given time to make a defence where it is appropriate.