The legislation finally became law yesterday night (27th October) and industry experts have welcomed the news with open arms.
It’s been almost two years since Michael Gove first unveiled his plans to overhaul the private rented sector, an attempt which failed during the final months of Rishi Sunak’s reign. However, after being introduced to parliament in September 2024, the Renters’ Rights Bill has now received Royal Assent.
‘Our historic act marks the biggest leap forward in renters’ rights in a generation,’ secretary of state Steve Reed, said. ‘We are finally ending the injustice overseen by previous governments that has left millions living in fear of losing their homes.’
‘For decades, the scales have been tipped against tenants. Now we’re levelling the playing field between renters and landlords,’ Reed continued.
‘This is an historic moment for renters across the country and we’re proud to deliver it.’
Currently, it’s still unclear when the provisions of the legislation will come into effect, but Reed said during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he plans to publish a timetable of when the changes will be enforced as soon as possible.
Grace Milham, group operations director at The Property Franchise Group, said: ‘As expected, the Renters’ Rights Bill has now passed through Royal Assent, following the approval of the final version by the House of Commons last week.
‘The government is expected to set out its plan for implementation shortly, which will include some secondary legislation. Steve Reed, has indicated this will happen as soon as possible. We therefore continue to work on the assumption that the Bill will come into effect around the first quarter of 2026.’
‘We are well advanced in our rollout plan, helping our network of agents prepare for the smooth and effective delivery of the forthcoming changes,’ Milham added. ‘There are 14 key areas of change for landlords, and we have not underestimated the scale of work required to ensure a successful transition for both landlords and tenants. As always, the detail is critical, and that is where our focus remains.’
On the subject of change, Marc von Grundherr, director of Benham and Reeves, said: ‘Many landlords will be wary of further administrative burden and reduced flexibility, but at least they now know where they stand and can begin to plan accordingly. Once the dust settles and the finer details are clear, we expect the sector to stabilise and confidence to return.’
However, Sam Humphreys, head of M&A at Dwelly, explained that while the legislation may feel like ‘another hurdle’ for landlords to overcome, the ‘focus now must shift to implementation and ensuring that landlords understand their new obligations, that tenants are properly protected, and that technology and process innovation are used to help ease the administrative load that will inevitably follow.’
Photo by chris robert via UnSplash
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