The Renters Rights Bill is now (Oct 2024) making its way through parliament.  See our fact sheet on the Bill here.

iHowz are representing your views throughout the process.

Bill Published

It was published in the Commons on Wednesday September 11th, 2024 – coincidentally a day we hosted a meeting of MPs on our briefing to MPs (which can be seen here), and had its second reading on Wednesday October 9th (see here, from 14:04).

Second Reading

At the Second Reading, MPs had an opportunity to raise any points they thought were pertinent to the Bill, frequently based on information from lobbying groups.  Naturally, given their majority, most of the speakers were Labour, with some choosing to use their valuable maiden speech.

Committee Stage

The next phase is now underway, with the Bill being dissected in the committee stage, a process that will normally take at least 6 months, it appears that Labour are fast tracking this, anticipating to get it out in a couple of weeks – this is a Government on a mission!

The morning session of the committee can be seen here, and the afternoon session here.

iHowz Submission to the Committee

We submitted evidence to the committee, our full submission can be seen here, and in summary covers:

1. Section 24 (Tenant Tax) be amended to encourage landlords to remain in the sector
2. Property Conditions.
   – That the Decent Homes Standard be re-written before landlords must comply.
   – The review of Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) be published
   – Replace Licensing with a Property MoT
3. Court and tribunal reform
4. Not allow the tenant to give two months’ notice in the first 4 month of a tenancy.
5. Retain Fixed Term Tenancies where tenant requests, with landlord agreement
6. Allow larger deposits where a tenant requests to keep a pet
7. That these proposals are phased in, only when improvements to court services are effectively introduced
8. That the review of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPS) be published, before landlords must adhere to a revised Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)
9. Allow an engineer to entry without a warrant to re-certify gas or electric systems
10. To implement the Portal proposed in the Renters Reform Bill.
11. To implement the ROPA Report.
12. To allow re-possession of a property failing to meet the Decent Home Standard

Next Stage

We are continuing to meet as many MPs and Lords as possible, and are planning a further meeting of interested parties to keep an eye on progress – we will keep you informed.

What Can you do?

Send our submission to your MP, and tell them about your concerns.

For instance, if you are a student landlord, you are probably very worried about the impact on the student market.  You may find it helpful to look at our paper on Student Accommodation.