A few weeks ago the Renters Reform Bill created a lot of headlines with its first reading in Parliament on 17th May. Billed to “bring in a better deal for renters,” in this blog post we’ll cut through the bluster and take you through its main points, outlining how it could affect you as a UK landlord.

Before we proceed with the contents of the bill, it’s worth pointing out the RRB is a long way off becoming law yet. So far, the bill has only been tabled for its first debate, with no current date for its second reading. After that it will have to pass through committee stage where every line will be scrutinised and debated, after which it still has EIGHT further stages to pass through in the House of Commons and House of Lords before it becomes law, via royal assent. Thereafter, there will be a six – 12-month window for landlords to get compliant. All that to say, that we see this as a long way off and agree with some industry insiders who say that parts of it are potentially unenforceable. It does provide a useful window into the direction of the government’s housing policy, but we can’t stress enough that it’s likely to undergo revision so landlords shouldn’t read too much into it yet.

There are two parts to the bill: Firstly, the overhaul of ASTs to be replaced by ‘periodic’ tenancies and secondly, the establishment of a system of accountability and professional standards for landlords. The impetus for both elements of the bill, is largely a response to ‘criminal’ elements in the private rented sector and also a number of high-profile cases in the UK news cycle of debilitating living conditions in private rental properties. Thus, those landlords who keep their properties in good repair and retain reliable lettings agents in sourcing their tenants have little to worry about.