Rishi Sunak has announced that there will be a General Election on July 4th, effectively suspending Parliament sessions until after the election. This means that MPs won’t continue to work on various bills, including the Renters Reform Bill, which isn’t scheduled to be discussed this week, although some others like the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will be debated before the prorogation of parliament.
Ben Beadle, who is the CEO of the National Residential Landlords Association, expressed disappointment at the likelihood of the Renters (Reform) Bill not becoming law. He noted that the Bill had reached a stage where it could benefit both tenants and responsible landlords. He criticized the government for indecision and lack of clarity on implementing the changes, stressing that the market will now experience more uncertainty about the private rented sector’s future. Beadle emphasized that reforming the rental market will be important for the incoming government, and he plans to help shape fair and practical changes, which should also address issues with rogue landlords while encouraging responsible landlords to keep providing rental properties.
Allison Thompson, the National Lettings Managing Director at Leaders Romans Group, also showed disappointment because the upcoming election means the Renters (Reform) Bill will not be passed into law. She pointed out that the Bill had been in the works for years, attempting to tackle important tenant and landlord issues. The failure of the Bill to become law marks a major step back. Thompson mentioned that despite controversy over certain measures such as periodic tenancies, the abolition of Section 21, court delays, and pet policies, they had hoped ongoing discussions could resolve stakeholder concerns for the benefit of the rental market. She has consistently advocated for policies that protect the rights of both tenants and landlords. With this setback, she calls for the next government to urgently address the housing crisis with stable, long-term housing policies rather than continue the pattern of frequently changing housing ministers, which shows a lack of sustained commitment to the issue.
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, states that the Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced too late and, in its attempt to satisfy all parties, ended up satisfying none. Although some agents will feel relief that the government’s meddling in fixed term tenancies and eviction reform won’t proceed, this is overshadowed by the uncertainty and worry over what the next government might do about these issues. Propertymark will keep engaging with all political parties to advocate for agent regulation, tax reform, more resources for courts and enforcement authorities, and to ensure there continue to be flexible tenancy options that have made the private rental sector successful.
Sue Edmonds from the company Capital Letters expressed disappointment that work on the bill ceased because of the election, emphasizing the need to outlaw Section 21 evictions, which significantly contribute to family homelessness.
Tom Darling from the Renters Reform Coalition agreed, stating that if the bill does not pass during the wash-up period, its fall is inevitable due to the impending election, and rectifying England’s rental system will be the responsibility of the succeeding government. Renters have been expecting changes for five years and will feel neglected if the bill doesn’t succeed.
Labour has promised to undertake rental reform should they win the election scheduled for Thursday, July 4.
