Renters Rights Bill - Royal Assent

Renter Rights Bill – Gets Royal Assent

You may have heard that the Renters' Rights Bill has now been passed in the House of Parliament. For now, it's business as usual until the government announce its implementation date, and when that happens, we can expect parts of the act to kick in over time.

What is included in the Act

1. Periodic Tenancies
2. Decent Home Standard & new rules in responding to hazards
3. Change to advertising & letting practices
4. Limits to how much rent can be taken
5. The removal of Section 21
6. Section 8 enforcement to gain possession
7. Changes to rent increases
8. New private rented sector database& Ombudsmen that landlords must sign to
9. Penalties for landlords who don’t comply with these changes

When will this happen

Ministers are discussing the timeline, with the housing minister Matthew Pennycook informing us that both landlords and tenants will have “sufficient notice.”

Existing Tenancies

All AST tenancies will revert to Periodic Tenancies, and landlords and agents representing landlords are required to inform their tenants of the new rules within the first month of the commencement date. If you have an unexpired section 21 notice, it will only be valid for a possession claim within three months.

New Tenancies

Once the government have provided the information about what will be included in the tenancy, we will provide it to our clients. For more information about this, you can enquire on the gov.uk website.

Will the Act look at introducing all the legislation in one go?

It's widely accepted that implementation of the act will be rolled out over time which will include the following;

• New landlord ombudsmen and all landlords must register, even if they are using a letting agent
• Database that all landlords must register in the private rental sector
• Decent Home Standards in PRS, although category 1 Hazard will be introduced much sooner
• AWAABS Law all properties in PRS to follow stringent procedures pertinent to damp and mould

Compliance

There will also be enforcement powers to inspect properties by the local authority and request documents without a warrant. These powers are set to come in on the 27^th of December 2025, and notices will be issued to provide relevant information under s.113 and s.114. The compliance side of the legislation will come with heavy penalties up to £40,000, and tenants can also claim back up to 2 years rent if aspects of the act aren't adhered to.

How can we help you

This will have a huge impact on how we do business, and for many, it will also prove daunting, which is why many landlords will be selling. For those of you who are looking to keep your property and would like to use a letting agent to take care of the pitfalls associated with this legislation, we can help.

We can help you navigate the changes up ahead and support you every step of the way as you get to grips with the new regulations. We will be drafting the new tenancy for our landlords once we hear from the government.

Discover how Lets Find A Home can support your buy to let journey and explore our full range of services covered for landlords.

For any questions you have about the Renters Rights Bill contact Matt on 020 8870 5800.

Areas covers in SW London include; Wandsworth, Putney, Southfields, Earlsfield, Balham, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, Clapham Junction, Wimbledon, Battersea & Nine Elms.