The Renters' Rights Bill (RRB) has been discussed now for nearly six years now, but it finally seems to be about to become a reality. The latest news is that the RRB reached Report Stage in the House of Lords on July 1st, before the House of Commons Summer Recess on July 22nd.
These dates are significant as the next stage is for the House of Commons to agree to the Bill at a third reading. It is then expected to be passed back and approved in the House of Lords on the same day.
Although this may happen several times, once both Houses agree, it is given Royal Assent, meaning it becomes law, so it is implemented as the Renters' Rights Act.
Valerie Bannister, National Property Director at LSL estate agency explains how we are preparing for the Renters' Rights Bill:
“Many are predicting that it’s still a bit tight to make the RRB law prior to Summer Recess, and it’s more realistic that it will become an Act in the Autumn of 2025. There is much speculation on the timing of when the RRB will attain Royal Assent, followed by the Government announcement of when the new legislation will be enforced. These are two different dates.
At Your Move we are preparing for a go live implementation from 1st October , which may even drift into early 2026. The passage of the Bill has slowed somewhat and there is a very limited timeframe now between 1st July and Summer Recess on 22nd July.
We are working behind the scenes in getting prepared for the implementation date . We will keep all our Landlords and Tenants informed with guidance once we have clarity on the implementation date.”
If you aren't currently signed up to the landlord newsletter, you can sign up for free here.
Sign up to our newsletter for landlords
Have there been any major changes to the Bill over the last few months?
In short, no. Although the House of Lords has recommended hundreds of amendments, all have been rejected so far, and the Bill is pretty much the same as we have been reporting on this year:
Summary of key Renters’ Rights Bill changes
Renters' Rights Bill: Top three things that will change
Is there anything that could hold up the Bill receiving Royal Assent?
Based on what's happened so far, no. All amendments have been rejected. The only thing that could happen is that the Bill goes back and forth between the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
However, even if this does happen, it shouldn’t hold up the Bill as Parliament can limit the House of Lords ability to reject legislation.
Top 7 things landlords need to do now
- Read our guide on the Renters' Rights Bill and keep an eye on your inbox for updates.
- If you are self-managing, make sure you advise your tenants that the RRB is changing your tenancy agreement via a prescribed letter.
- Speak to your Mortgage and Insurance company to check they will cover your property under the RRB.
- If you haven’t raised your rents over recent years, consider issuing a S13 Notice to do so or speak to Your Move who will advise on the latest market rent.
- Be aware that you cannot issue S21s after the Bill reaches Royal Assent unless you have already served on them.
- Remember that once the bill is passed, you can evict if you want the property to sell or for family use, but your tenant will require four months' notice to leave the property, and if you do ask them to leave, you will not be able to re-let the property for 12 months of service of your notice.
- If you self-manage, does your property (ies) meet with the current letting health and safety requirements?
In addition to the above, if you manage your own tenancy agreements, check it is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement (AST) as the Renters' Rights Bill applies to ASTs only and check the terms of your tenancy agreement.
At Your Move if we provide a Fully Managed service, we will implement the transition for your tenants to abide by the Renters' Rights Bill.
For landlords who are working with Your Move on a Fully Managed basis, we will handle as much of the switch for you as possible.
However, if you are self-managing you will need to make sure you have understood all the new rules and regulations to let a property and that you let your property safely and legally.
For more help and support in understanding and switching your property to let legally and safely under the Renters' Rights Bill, please get in touch for a lettings review.
The Your Move Content Marketing Team
