If you are a tenant or landlord in 2025 one piece of legislation you want to know about is The Renters Rights Bill. This has been hot property gossip among estate agents, conveyancers and all those with an interest in the private rented property sector for some time.
Among said gossip questions have included what changes will it make? Will it actually ever become law? And if so, when will it come into effect? Well, here at Waterstone Legal London’s top conveyancing solicitors, we have the full scoop on everything you need to know about The Renters Bill of Rights.
Go and pour yourself a Lawtee and settle in for a read.
What Is The Renter’s Rights Act?
The Renter’s Rights Bill is a key piece of legislation that could change the landscape of the private rented sector forever. Essentially it is the biggest planned reform since the Housing Act 1988. It will affect landlords, tenants and all those with an interest in renting UK property should be aware of the implications. Introduced to parliament in 2024, the legislation has big intentions to give tenants more security over their homes. It will put more responsibility on landlords in terms of upkeep, fair rental prices and notice procedures to terminate a tenancy.
Let’s take a closer look into the key changes that could soon become law.
What Are The Key Changes Planned With The Renters Rights Bill
Naturally, it is important that our legal system is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it provides fair, relevant protection to all those who rely on it. The private rented sector has been long overdue an update and the Renter’s Rights Bill is here to shake things up. The key changes proposed are as follows.
Goodbye Fixed-Term ShortHold Tenancies
Currently landlords can issue tenancies on a fixed-term basis from six months to many years. The Renters Rights Bill will effectively make all tenancies periodic meaning that a tenant can serve notice at any time to leave. This allows them more freedom over their living arrangements and stops landlords fixing high rents for long periods of time.
Rent Increases Get Harder
With the switch to periodic tenancies, the only way for a landlord to increase the rent will be by serving a s13 notice. So, these can be served whenever right? Nope. Landlords will only be able to serve this notice once a year giving tenants more protection over rental costs.
No More Bidding Wars
As estate agents know, many popular apartments during a busy market can attract a bidding war with potential tenants being encouraged to offer their highest price. The Renter’s Rights Bill will put an end to this with a new rule that agents cannot accept offers over the advertised prices. This is good news for tenants that have limited budgets. Additionally, it protects landlords from renting properties at unrealistic prices, resulting in rent arrears.
No Fault? No Eviction
The Renter Bill of Rights will change things when it comes to evictions. Currently landlords can evict a tenant using the s21 notice even when there is no fault of the tenant. This right will be removed, they will have to rely on a s8 notice. A little unfair for landlords? Maybe. However the grounds for eviction for s8 are currently being reviewed and updated so there is hope this will even things out.
Do Not Discriminate
Sometimes it can feel the current system allows landlords the discretion to discriminate against tenants. For example, if they have pets, children or are single. A positive of the Renters Rights Bill is that it will absolve this discrimination with firmer guidelines. Landlords will not be able to reject tenants on benefits or with children nor be able to unreasonably say no to those with pets. Paw-fect if you have furry flat mates.
Awaab’s Law
Following the tragedy of the death of Awaab Ishak as a result of dire property conditions, Awaab’s law has been implemented into the social housing sector to increase living standards. This will now become a part of the private rented sector. This means landlords will have a strict responsibility to ensure property they rent is safe and any repairs are addressed efficiently.
More Regulation
A key motivation of the Renter’s Rights Act was to provide more regulation to the private rented sector, as a nod to this there will be a landlords ombudsman to report to for disputes. The ombudsman aims to resolve these fairly and impartially giving both parties reasonable consideration. This gives landlords and tenants an opportunity to resolve their grievances without resorting to court.
When Does The Renter’s Rights Bill Become Law?
It is expected that the changes will come into effect when Parliament returns from Summer break (yep even politicians love holidays.) A provisional date of 8th September 2025 has been penciled for royal ascension. It is likely the changes will be rolled out in 2026, giving landlords and tenants time to fully understand the implications and make any adjustments they need to get prepared.
Ready For A Quick Recap?
We appreciate that the above changes are a lot to take in for landlords and tenants. To recap, the Renter’s Rights Bill will make big updates to the private rented sector. These include replacing all fixed-term tenancies with periodic tenancies, limiting rent increases to once a year, removing the no-faults s21 eviction notice. And finally, ensuring landlords do not discriminate against tenants who have benefits, children or pets.
Landlords must also make sure their rental properties meet the higher standards imposed by Awaab’s law and that any repairs are attended to urgently. If you are a landlord and wish to discuss your current tenancy agreements or have any questions regarding the changes –reach out to us for a free consultation. As London’s most trusted conveyancers we provide a full house of landlord services with our much loved down to earth and friendly approach.
As let’s face it property business is stressful enough, we are here to keep things simple so you can take life easy.
Questions?
