A version of this article was first published on 17 May 2023

After years of delays, the Renters’ Rights Bill has finally become law in England. The bill looks good on paper; it’s been welcomed by homelessness charities (Crisis has described it as a “big step toward safe, secure homes for everyone") and landlords have campaigned hard against it, which suggests it must be doing something right. But the reality is a little more complicated. Here’s everything you need to know about these reforms and how they might affect you.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES?

Under the new legislation, landlords will now be banned from evicting tenants without justification, ending the “no-fault” evictions which have become a leading cause of homelessness in England. Homes will now be rented on a rolling basis, rather than a fixed 12 or 24-month contract, which means tenants will be able to stay in a property for as long as they want to, barring a few specific circumstances, while also making it easier for them to leave. The reforms will also end “bidding wars”, where prospective tenants are invited to put in higher offers in order to secure a property. 

The reform will make it illegal for landlords to refuse tenancies to people who receive benefits or have families, as well as making it easier for renters to own pets in their homes. To be specific, it guarantees that tenants will have the legal right to request a pet and landlords cannot “unreasonably” refuse this, nor can they ask for larger deposits or demand that tenants take out pet damage insurance.

Awaab's Law, named in honour of 2-year-old Awaab Ishab, who died after being exposed to black mould, will require landlords to repair hazardous conditions within a two-month time frame. A 2023 survey published by Shelter found that private renters who complained about their landlord, letting agent or local council about poor conditions were over twice as likely to be served with an eviction notice in retaliation. Under the new reforms, this will no longer be possible.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES?

There are a few catches. Because this would be classed as a “valid ground for possession”, the new law doesn’t provide much protection if your landlord decides to sell their property, or if they or a family member decide to move in. But they can’t do this within the first 12 months of you living there, and after that time they are required to provide four months notice.

The law still allows landlords to evict tenants for failing to pay rent or causing damage, and affords them even more powers to evict on the basis of “antisocial behaviour”, which is defined as “any behaviour capable of causing annoyance or nuisance”. Charities have warned that this could harm victims of domestic violence, who are four times more likely to be accused by neighbours of antisocial behaviour, based on a misunderstanding of the abuse that’s happening in their homes. 

It’s likely that landlords will still find ways to evict their tenants, whether through large rent hikes or other “backdoor” evictions. They will only be able to increase rents once a year and in line with market rates, but the cost of rent is increasing just about everywhere - most sharply in London - and many people are already struggling to meet their housing costs. Letting the market decide is not really an adequate solution to a crisis caused in large part by market forces. To really tackle the housing crisis, we need both a lot more housing and adequate rent controls.

Maybe we can all sleep a little more soundly in over-priced houseshares tonight, but there is still a lot of work to be done to provide real security for renters in England.

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