Final Stage - House of Lords propose further amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill
During the Lords Committee stage in May 2025, Lords tabled and debated a comprehensive set of amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill. Before the Bill goes moves to Report Stage and the 3rd Reading in the House of Lords on the 1st July 2025, further proposals have been put forward to seek to preserve existing protections where they work well, fill in perceived gaps, and ensure the Bill is fit for purpose. Set out below is a summary of the most recent proposed amendments, The Marshalled List for Report includes the following and a lot more:-
1. Rent-Arrears Thresholds
Possession MAY still be sought after eight weeks’ arrears in weekly or fortnightly tenancies and two months’ arrears in monthly tenancies, rejecting longer grace periods.
2 . Proposed Additional Grounds for Possession
Ground 8A (Carer Ground) – permits possession where the dwelling is required to house a carer for the Landlord or a close family member.
Housing Minister announces intention to Regulate the Property Sector
Ahead of the BBC’s ‘Leasehold Day’ on the 22nd November 2024, the Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, unveiled the government’s plan to transform the property sector by abolishing the leasehold system and replacing it with commonhold as the default tenure.
This pivotal reform is set to be implemented within the current parliamentary term, possibly alongside the long-awaited introduction of the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA).
The ROPA report, published in 2019, with Lord Best chairing the working group, highlighted the necessity for property agents to possess formal qualifications, ensuring they have the requisite knowledge and skills to serve clients effectively.
An Update from Westminster
An Update on the Renter's Reform Bill
The White Paper on the Renters' Reform Bill, should have been published in October and has now been delayed until 2022, The announcement made by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was a surprise given that the Bill had appeared on the government's agenda and in the Queen's Speech. The government announced that the White Paper would provide an outline of it's plan to its reform the private rented sector. The proposed changes are set to include:-
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abolishing Section 2
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the introduction of lifetime deposits
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a Tenants' Redress Scheme
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a Landlords' Register & Regulation of Landlords
A recent survey looked at the difficulties individuals face when renting, letting or enforcing property standards in the Private Rented Sector.The Government’s said that they are committed to exploring the merits of a national landlord register and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are engaging with a range of stakeholders across the private rented sector.
The initial research exercise will complete in December 2021. The findings from this survey of private tenants and other sources of research will be used to inform next steps and further engagement.