The Renters’ Rights Bill (RRB) is now making slow progress through Parliament. After a rapid journey through the House of Commons — with the usually lengthy committee stage compressed into just six days (22 October to 5 November 2024) — the Bill has become bogged down in the House of Lords.

At the Lords Committee stage, more than 300 amendments are being debated across six separate sittings. To date, all Government amendments have been accepted, while all other amendments have been rejected.

While many amendments are minor and technical, the first session on Tuesday 22 April saw significant debate around two contentious issues:

Retention of fixed terms for all tenancies

Having been briefed by iHowz, Lord Jackson of Peterborough spoke on the potential problems of abolishing Fixed Term tenancies and urged their retention.

Special treatment of student tenancies

Despite strong and thoughtful points raised by opposition peers, the Government again showed little willingness to amend its position. Critics have pointed to the experience in Scotland, where the introduction of Private Residential Tenancies (PRTs) — although offering tenants greater protections — has negatively impacted student housing availability amid rising rents and supply shortages.

 Concerns Over Ground 4A and Smaller Student Properties

Further controversy has arisen around the Government’s plan to restrict use of Ground 4A — the legal mechanism allowing landlords to regain possession of student properties in line with the academic year.

Speaking during the Lords Committee stage, Housing Minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage confirmed that Ground 4A would only apply to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) with three or more bedrooms, claiming this “captures the bulk of typical students.”

Data from accommodationforstudents.com suggests these smaller properties represent around 32% of ‘off-street’ student housing — particularly important for final-year and postgraduate students seeking quieter accommodation.

However, excluding one- and two-bedroom homes from Ground 4A will do the exact opposite — reducing supply, raising competition, pushing up rents, and limiting choice for students.”  It was pointed out that the protection of part-time students and student parents, cited by the Government, is not an issue under current rules, as Ground 4A only applies when all tenants are full-time students.

An amendment tabled by Lord Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation, sought to extend Ground 4A to smaller properties, but it has so far been unsuccessful.