Millions of renters in England are on the brink of gaining enhanced rights following the recent formal approval of a new law.
The Renters’ Rights Bill has received Royal Assent, a development that is expected to impact 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords in the country.
Key provisions of the Bill include the elimination of Section 21 “no fault” evictions and the extension of rights related to pet ownership.
While these regulations are not yet in effect and will only apply to rentals in England, further details on the implementation of the reforms will be disclosed in the upcoming weeks.
Praised as a significant improvement to renters’ rights by the Renters’ Reform Coalition, which comprises organizations like Shelter, Generation Rent, and Citizens Advice, the changes have been termed a “generational upgrade.”
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has expressed its commitment to collaborating with the Government to ensure that the reforms are carried out fairly and effectively.
The Renters’ Rights Bill introduces several key features, including the prohibition of Section 21 evictions, which allow landlords to terminate a tenancy without providing a reason.
Landlords will be restricted from selling or moving into a property within the initial 12 months of a tenancy, after which they must provide a four-month notice period.
Under the new rules, tenants can be evicted for falling behind on rent, damaging the property, or engaging in antisocial behavior.
Additionally, the minimum threshold for issuing a Section 8 eviction notice due to rent arrears will be raised from two to three months.
Tenants served with a Section 8 notice will have four months to vacate the premises, following which a court will determine possession of the property if they fail to comply.
All tenancies will transition to “periodic” agreements from fixed-term arrangements, with existing fixed-term tenancies being converted accordingly.
Furthermore, tenants will have increased rights to request permission for pets, with landlords required to consider such requests reasonably and cannot unreasonably refuse them.
Tenants who believe they have been unfairly denied a pet can challenge the decision through the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
The legislation will make it illegal for landlords and estate agents to discriminate against benefit claimants or families with children, while still enforcing reference and affordability checks for all tenants.
Moreover, landlords and estate agents will be prohibited from soliciting offers above the advertised rent, thereby putting an end to bidding wars that may exclude individuals from affordable housing options.
To enhance transparency, landlords and estate agents must disclose an asking rent for their properties, and it will be unlawful to accept offers exceeding this rate.