Renters’ Rights Legislation Progresses, Leaving Landlords Seeking Clarity on Essential Changes – TNT

The Renters’ Rights Bill has completed its Committee Stage in the House of Lords and will move on to the Report Stage imminently, but as the bill nears the statute book, property professionals continue to voice concern about how these reforms will actually work in practice.

Allison Thompson, national lettings managing director of LRG, is the latest agent to express ‘disappointment’ at the proposed new legislation set to be introduced.

Thompson is rather surprised that so few of the 280-plus amendments have been taken on board.

“Many of these proposals were practical and proportionate, offering a better path to balanced reform,” she said. “This was a real opportunity to address concerns about court delays, fixed-term tenancies and the risks of rushed implementation. Instead, we are seeing significant changes pushed through with limited clarity on how they will work in practice.”

Thompson says that LRG support the principle of reform, particularly when it comes to improving safety, fairness and transparency for tenants. But these changes will only succeed if they are workable for landlords too. “What we need now is clarity, consistency and practical guidance,” she explained.

Thompson continued: “Landlords should begin preparing for a shift in how they manage tenancies. The removal of fixed terms, changes to rent increase processes and new responsibilities around pets and damp mean that tenancy agreements will need updating. Rent guarantee insurance and legal cover should also be reviewed, as many existing policies may not reflect the new legal environment. And with more pressure on local enforcement and court systems, working with a qualified, regulated letting agent has never been more important.

“We urge the government to continue working with the sector to ensure the transition is fair and effective. Reform must be more than a political milestone, it must work on the ground for those providing and living in rented homes.”

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) recently warned that the government is failing to acknowledge the true state of the court system and its lack of readiness to handle possession cases following the end of Section 21 evictions.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Justice, the average time for landlords to regain possession of a property through the courts has increased yet again.

In the first quarter of 2025, the average time between a landlord submitting a claim and regaining legitimate possession was over seven months (32.5 weeks – up from 29.8 weeks a year ago).

This is despite ministers repeatedly claiming that the courts will be “ready” to manage the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill, which last week concluded its scrutiny in the House of Lords.

With the abolition of Section 21 evictions, landlords will in future be reliant on the courts to hear, decide, process and enforce possession claims.

During the Renters’ Rights Bill Committee Stage in the House of Lords, the Housing Minister, Baroness Taylor, claimed that possession cases take an average of just eight weeks. However, this figure is misleading as it only covers part of the process – from making a claim to getting a possession order. It does not include the typically much longer wait for landlords to actually get their property back, which can take over half a year.

Failure to deliver meaningful court reform will further undermine landlords’ confidence in the system and could lead to reduced investment, making it even harder for tenants to find a home.

An autumn 2024 survey by the NRLA of over 1,400 landlords found that 96% have little or no confidence that the courts will be able to cope once the Renters’ Rights Bill is passed.

The NRLA has called on the government to set out a credible plan for court reform as a matter of urgency. This must include clear standards for “court readiness”, funding to ensure cases are processed without unacceptable delays, and a commitment to transparency through regular reporting on court performance.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “Ministers are either unaware of the true state of the courts or are refusing to admit it. Their claims that the courts will be ‘ready’ for the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill simply do not stack up.

“Seven months is an eternity for responsible landlords who may be dealing with serious rent arrears and for neighbours having to endure anti-social behaviour.

“The government must stop burying its head in the sand and commit to a fully funded, detailed and deliverable plan to ensure the courts are fit for purpose. Without this, landlord confidence will continue to erode, undermining investment in supplying the rental homes that tenants desperately need.”