The 'New' Renters' Rights Bill

Those of you who have been following recent proposed changes for the lettings regime will know that we have been waiting a very long time for some certainty.  It seems the picture is now slowly becoming clearer.

Background

The Conservative government proposed the Renters’ (Reform) Bill.  This passed the House of Commons stage, and was part way through the House of Lords stage before the election.  The election was called, and this Bill has been indefinitely parked.

We ran a seminar on the proposed changes on 10 May 2024 where we ran through the Renters’ (Reform) Bill in quite some detail. 

The new Labour government had promised in their manifesto that they would make their own changes, and promised some of these changes from day one. 

That day one promise, fortunately, did not happened. That would probably have been chaotic. 

They did however yesterday propose their own version for these changes, in the Renters’ Rights Bill.  We are still considering this in full and will continue to do so as it passes through the relevant stages in Parliament so we are up to date when these changes come into force.
 

Upcoming Changes

Fortunately for us who did consider the Renters’ (Reform) Bill, much has been kept in place and it was not a waste of time starting to get out heads around the new process. 

Some of the Conservative’s proposals which have been kept include:

1. The conversion of all fixed term assured shorthold tenancies to periodic ones.
2. The right to a section 21 eviction will fall away, as this can only be done for an assured shorthold tenancy.
3. The new grounds for possession including when a landlord wishes to sell the property.
4. Regulatory changes to prevent unlawful evictions, pleading improper grounds and other local authority methods of enforcement.
5. Implementation of the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law in the private sector.
6. Prevention from restrictions for tenants with pets, with children or receiving housing related benefits.
7. Among others.

There are however some changes, some fundamental, which we will be keeping a close eye on, including:

1. There will not be a transitionary period for current fixed term assured shorthold tenancies to periodic tenancies, with a term of no more than one month.  There will be a date confirmed later by the government when this will change automatically.
2. Lengthier notice periods for most grounds of possession.
3. Lengthier periods from the start of tenancies before some grounds are able to be used.
4. An increase in what is considered ‘serious rent arrears’ when we look at the grounds for possession.
5. The proposed Ground 8A, which was controversial, is now gone.
6. If a landlord uses the ground to sell, and then does not, the bar on re-letting is lengthier.
7. Provisions from the Renter’s Reform Bill to make it slightly easier to evict on anti-social behaviour have been removed.
8. Rent increase provisions have changed slightly.
9. Among others.

Next Seminar

We plan to hold (another) seminar in November in Barnstaple to run through these changes once they are better known and then have a general discussion. 

Please register your interest by contacting bideford.reception@bhrlaw.co.uk. We will confirm details for this seminar later this month, including a time and venue.

Get in Touch

If would like to discuss any of the topics in this article, please contact the dispute resolution team at our Barnstaple office on 01271 342271 or contact me directly by email at robert.bourne@bhrlaw.co.uk.

 

 

or call one of our offices:
Barnstaple - 01271 342271
Bideford - 01237 472666
Braunton - 01271 812033