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- Renters’ rights bill moves into final stages as rental market feels the strain
Renters’ rights bill moves into final stages as rental market feels the strain
TheHub@Druce
- •
- 29 Aug 2025

Renters’ rights bill moves into final stages as rental market feels the strain
Table of Contents
Although the reforms are not yet in force, housing campaigners warn that renters remain vulnerable under the current system, particularly to so-called “no-fault” Section 21 evictions. Shelter England stressed this month that the protection tenants are waiting for is still months away, despite the political consensus driving the Bill forward.
Industry observers expect a phased introduction of key measures once Royal Assent is secured. Provisions such as the abolition of Section 21 could take effect as early as March 2026, with other elements – including the extension of the Decent Homes Standard to the private sector and the creation of a national landlord register – following in stages.
Meanwhile, the rental market is already showing signs of pressure. A new report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) highlighted a sharp fall in the number of new rental listings in July – the steepest decline since the first Covid lockdown. With supply shrinking and demand holding firm, analysts fear that rents could rise further in the short term, even as the Bill seeks to create greater fairness and stability for tenants.
Key reforms within the Bill include:
- Ending no-fault evictions under Section 21.
- Converting all tenancies to periodic contracts.
- Limiting rent increases to once per year, with tenants able to challenge rises via tribunal.
- Introducing a ban on rental bidding wars.
- Requiring landlords to accept pets on reasonable grounds.
- Enforcing higher property standards through the Decent Homes Standard.
- Establishing a private rented sector database and landlord ombudsman.
With the next stage of Commons consideration scheduled for early September, the coming weeks will be decisive. For tenants, landlords, and letting agents alike, the countdown to the most significant rental reforms in a generation has begun.
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