Renters (Reform) Bill declared ‘Dead’ ahead of General Election

The Renters (Reform) Bill is dead, according to various tenant groups.

The Renters (Reform) Coalition and Generation Rent, say the Renters (Reform) Bill is unlikely to pass before the General Election.

However, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will be debated in the House of Lords today.

Renters (Reform) Bill is dead

In an update to MPs, the Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt did not include the Bill among the legislation to be debated before Parliament is prorogued.

Although Ms Mordaunt confirmed that some bills are still under negotiation, she refrained from commenting on the fate of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

In her Business Statement to the Commons, Ms Mordaunt confirmed that the Finance Bill, the Digital Markets Bill and Post Office Horizon Offences Bill will all get time in the Commons before the election.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill, which will include mechanisms to compensate people impacted by the infected blood scandal, will be put before MPs today.

Tom Darling, campaign manager for the Renters Reform Coalition: said on X, formerly Twitter: “The Renters (Reform) Bill is dead. I’m still hearing that renters reform is out but leasehold bill is up in the air.

“The government are still saying that negotiations are ongoing but for renters reform I suspect this is about trying to manage the politics of having reneged on this commitment more than anything.”

Hugely disappointing

Reacting to the news, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the (NRLA), called the situation “hugely disappointing”.

He said: “If true, it is hugely disappointing that this Bill will not now make it into law. The news comes despite the fact that the Bill was in a state which would work for tenants and responsible landlords.

“There has been too much dither and delay in government, and a failure to be clear about how to ensure changes would work in practice. Critically, the market now faces yet more crippling uncertainty about what the future of the private rented sector looks like.

“Reforming the sector will be an important issue for the next government and we will work constructively with them to ensure changes are fair and workable. That means empowering tenants to challenge rogue and criminal landlords whilst ensuring the confidence of responsible landlords to stay in the market.”

Government has failed in its promise to renters

Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, blamed MPs for the delay of the Bill.

He said: “Abandoning the Renters Reform Bill as parliament dissolves means the government has failed in its promise to renters at the last election to deliver a fairer tenancy system.

“If it had not been for delays caused by a minority of MPs opposing the Bill, the government could enter the election campaign with a new law to end Section 21 evictions and bring in stronger protections for renters.

“It now falls to the next parliament to start afresh and get it right at the second time of asking. Whoever forms the next government must make rental reform a key part of their agenda.

“This means proper protections from evictions when we have done nothing wrong, and limits on unaffordable rent rises so we can’t be turfed on to the streets at a landlords’ whim.”

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