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Report maintenance Renters’ Rights Bill (Rejected Amendments)
The Renters’ Rights Bill is unlikely to receive Royal Assent until after Parliament returns from recess, post 5th November. Several proposed amendments have been rejected, meaning some of the more controversial areas of the bill will remain unchanged. Here are some of the key points
What the Latest Rejected Amendments Mean
Pets
Some landlords were hoping the Bill would allow them to insist on tenants taking out pet insurance to protect their property. However, this amendment was rejected. Landlords will not be able to request pet insurance or take an additional deposit for pets, meaning tenants can keep pets without these extra costs.
Ground 4a – The “Student Eviction Clause”
A proposed extension of Ground 4a to all student properties has been rejected. This means Ground 4a can only be applied to HMOs with three or more sharers.
What does this mean:
- For smaller student properties, tenants now have the option to stay indefinitely, provided they give the usual two months’ notice to leave. Because Ground 4a doesn’t apply in these cases, landlords no longer have an automatic right to regain possession at the end of the academic year.
- This change could make it more challenging to guarantee vacant possession for a new group of students each September. For landlords, it introduces greater uncertainty around tenancy planning and turnovers, something to be mindful of when preparing for future lets.
Re-let Period After Notice to Sell
The Bill rejected a proposal to reduce the waiting period for landlords to re-let a property after serving a notice to sell (Ground 1a) from 12 months to 6 months. Landlords must still wait 12 months before re-letting.
New Grounds for Carers
A new proposed ground that would allow landlords to repossess a property to house a carer for themselves or a family member was rejected.
Guarantors
While some MPs suggested banning landlords from requesting guarantors, this amendment did not make it into the Bill. The only change is that a guarantor’s liability ends if the tenant dies.
Supporting You Through Change
The Bill has been moving through its final stages. On 8 September, the Commons rejected most of the Lords’ amendments. Parliament went into recess on 16 September and will return on 13 October, when the Bill will head back to the Lords.
The back-and-forth between Commons and Lords will continue until both sides agree on the final wording. Only then can the Bill receive Royal Assent and become law.
Even once passed, changes will be introduced in stages, so landlords should expect transitional periods before everything comes into force.
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