Renters Reform Bill to be introduced next week

The long-awaited Renters’ Reform Bill is finally set to be published and introduced into Parliament next week.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has announced that the bill will “change the way in which the relationship between landlords and tenants work, providing tenants with new protection which should ensure that they’re better protected from arbitrary rent increases.”

The bill is expected to include a wide range of reforms, including the abolition of Section 21 eviction powers for landlords, an apparent strengthening of Section 8 eviction powers, the introduction of a mandatory landlord register, and the introduction of a Decent Homes Standard for the private sector.

The bill was first mooted in 2019, and the government has faced criticism from activist groups for its slowness in introducing it into Parliament. The details of the bill will reveal which measures, if any, can be introduced into law at short notice and which may require primary legislation, which takes up to a year to get through Parliament.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, has tweeted in response to the news: “Secretary of State Michael Gove confirms that we will see the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill next week. We look forward to working with the government to ensure that this legislation is workable for landlords and tenants alike.