The Bill cleared the Committee Stage in the House of Lords on 15 May 2025, and the next step, the Report Stage, will take place over three sessions between 1–15 July. It seems unlikely the Bill will complete the final stages and gain Royal Assent before Summer recess, however, key measures – like changes to tenancy agreements and possession rules – could still come into force later this year. More complex elements, such as the landlord and agent database and the Decent Homes Standard, are expected to follow in 2026 or 2027. The primary changes landlords need to be aware of are listed below along with some brief, to the point, comments from the team at Pure
1 – A new standard periodic tenancy agreement – Fixed terms will be a thing of the past however tenants will be given protection from eviction for the first 12 months (unless in breach of the tenancy). Our experience here is tenants want longer terms, and more security so periodic tenancies should have little impact.
2 – The removal of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions – The headline grabber but…...No problem. All reasonable grounds for possession, from fair and reasonable landlords, will be covered under Section 8
3 – Strengthened and adjusted grounds for possession under Section 8 – including the Right to Sell, Right for landlord to move back in and all other grounds currently contained under S8.
4 – Application of the Decent Homes Standard to the PRS – Good conscientious landlords already want to comply with this
5 – Reforms to property advertising and letting practices – No problem – We already comply and have long supported the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA) proposals.
6 – Restrictions on upfront rent payments – First months rent and deposits unaffected
7 – Rules for fair rent increases – Totally agree here. Rents should be fair and our policy has always been never more than annually.
8 – A national landlord and agent database – At Last!!! Hopefully this will drive out the rogue landlords who seem to openly flout the rules and get away with it
9 – A new Ombudsman with mandatory membership – Same comment as above
10 – Civil penalties and offences for non-compliance – And same again!!
The UK Government has so far refused to be drawn on the specific timetable for implementation. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Baroness Taylor, has stated that the commencement date will be set through secondary legislation after the Bill has passed, and committed to giving the sector ‘sufficient time’ to prepare.
The Baroness also emphasised that clear, straightforward and easy-to-read guidance will be produced to help landlords and agents prepare, alongside a wide-ranging awareness campaign to educate the public on the reforms.
In a nutshell whilst the Renters Rights Bill is the biggest shake up of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in over 30 years the team here at Pure don’t feel it threatens those landlords wanting to provide quality, safe homes to good conscientious tenants. It may take a little while to get used to the new rules however we are sure it wont be long until it is simply the “New Norm”
If anyone has any questions regarding the upcoming changes please do not hesitate to contact Lee Bilbrough – lee@purepropertylettings.co.uk