With the introduction of the Renters Reform Bill to Parliament on the 17th May 2023, this long awaited proposed legislation affecting the private rented sector in England moves closer to becoming law.

The headline part of the bill has been the proposed abolishment of the so called “no fault eviction” known formally as the Section 21 notice. For Landlords who have initial concerns about the impact this may have, it is worth noting that the Section 21 Notice is not a commonly used tool for seeking possession. When used, it is primarily for reasons that are likely to be included in changes made to the Section 8 notice, such as needing to move back into the property or selling the property. There is no doubt though that the proposed changes are a shift from the current legislation in place.

The main proposals in the bill include:

• Abolishing Section 21 notice evictions, which allow landlords to evict tenants without a reason.
• Reforming the Section 8 notice process, to expand and strengthen the grounds for repossession for the landlord
• Introducing a new type of tenancy agreement, which would give tenants more security
• Creating a landlords’ register where all landlords must register themselves and their properties on a Property Portal
• A new Ombudsman covering all private landlords to improve dispute resolution
• Applying the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) to privately rented homes
• Changes to how and when rent increases can be implemented

The Government has said the Bill “will introduce comprehensive, fair and efficient grounds to ensure landlords have confidence they can regain possession when it is reasonable. We will expedite landlords’ ability to evict those who disrupt neighbourhoods through anti-social behaviour and introduce a new ground for persistent rent arrears”

It is important to note that although this bill has been introduced to parliament it has not yet become law. At this time, we cannot confirm the date the Bill will become law. It must pass through both Houses of Parliament where amendments are expected to be made. The government does however plan to have the Bill pass into law in the lifetime of this Parliament, which is currently due to run to Dec 2024.

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