Final debate on Renters’ Rights Bill delayed as Lords discuss landlord database
Despite pledging to finish by Wednesday, Lord members could not finish the Renters’ Rights Bill Committee stage and will hold the final debate today.
If the bill passes today, it will move on to the report stage, where Lord members can make further amendments.
During the debate, Lord members discussed the landlord database.
Unfair on law-abiding landlords
Baroness Scott of Bybrook from the Conservatives, told the debate her amendment would stop enforcement costs from being unfairly passed on to compliant landlords:
She said: “Amendment 228E, also in my name, would prevent the costs of enforcement action against non-compliant landlords being charged to those who have complied with the requirements of this chapter.
“This part of the Bill seems entirely unfair on law-abiding landlords. We want to understand why landlords who are compliant must bear the costs of enforcement taken against those landlords who fail to comply with the law. Could the Minister explain why compliant landlords must bear the costs of enforcement targeted at those who fail to meet their legal obligations?”
Do not consider amendment necessary
However, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary under-secretary for housing, told the debate she did not consider the amendments to be needed.
She said: “Amendment 228E would place a requirement on Ministers to give two months’ notice of any fee changes to landlords with an active database entry. It raises a useful point to consider as we develop the database.
“We agree on the need for landlords to receive clear and timely communication about any changes in fees and to understand when a fee is required. As we develop the database, we are considering the required communications to landlords to help them understand their obligations, including payment of fees. We are also considering how we can design the database to facilitate this in a timely way. As we are already considering these points as we develop our proposals for implementation, we do not consider this amendment necessary.”
User-friendly as possible
Baroness Stevenage adds the landlord database will be as user-friendly as possible.
She said: “The database will be essential in helping to confirm that properties meet standards, and tenants deserve protection where landlords have failed to ensure that they and their rental properties are registered on the database. It must be clear to landlords that they have a legal obligation to ensure that they are registered on the database. Retaining the ability to amend this restriction means that we can ensure that this works for both parties when the Bill is implemented.
“Let me reassure the noble Baroness that we are designing the database so that it is as user-friendly as possible for landlords to register, and we are engaging with landlords accordingly to test this.”
Comments
Have Your Say
Every day, landlords who want to influence policy and share real-world experience add their voice here. Your perspective helps keep the debate balanced.
Not a member yet? Join In Seconds
Login with
Previous Article
Foundation and TMW reduce their buy to let rates
Member Since August 2023 - Comments: 24
10:28 AM, 15th May 2025, About 11 months ago
You know it, I know it and the politicians know it. The primary purpose of the Landlord Database will be to extract fees from compliant landlords. The secondary purpose will be for HMRC to cross check tax returns. The third purpose will be to give local councils another stick to hit landlords with. All of this while the “rouges” it is supposed to catch just ignore it.
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1588
11:22 AM, 15th May 2025, About 11 months ago
I need some notice of fees so I can increase rents accordingly.
Member Since April 2020 - Comments: 96
5:09 PM, 15th May 2025, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Steve A at 15/05/2025 – 10:28
We should all refuse to do it, how much more of this do they think we can keep taking, you soon won’t be able to do anything without having to ask permission or pay a fee, call this democracy, everything has to be certificated, bang on with dates, etc unless a landlord needs to do something due to a rogue tenant, of course, then its up to a twelve month wait through the courts and more fees and thats if you have dotted every i and crossed every t otherwise theres no point in even applying. Things have got to change ! We are not all rogue landlords just being made to suffer. You are right its another form of control and manipulation. Its not our fault that the Governments have failed to provide affordable housing in this country and allowed more and more people in who want it, resulting in what is now over-regulation on most of the PRS we are not all limited companies and never will be but are looking after some decent properties with decent tenants but, not for much longer if this carries on.
Member Since May 2025 - Comments: 1
7:55 PM, 15th May 2025, About 11 months ago
It’s all a pointless exercise, government are pushing this through so that councils aren’t spaffing endless amounts of money on housing the homeless (who funnily enough wouldn’t be homeless if s24 hadn’t been implemented and now the looming renters rights bill hadn’t been so unfriendly to landlords), the knock on effect of this bill is a decrease in much needed rental stock and as LAs do not have the capacity to house these people, councils will continue spaffing even more money on housing the government made homeless, I’m pretty sure there is now some hidden agenda as all roads lead to increased homelessness, increased council expenditure and so on, make it make sense somebody please!
Member Since November 2024 - Comments: 81
8:15 AM, 16th May 2025, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Steve A at 15/05/2025 – 10:28
Agree – easy access to extort as much money as possible from landlords via fines from over regulation to fill their deficits and dire housing/immigration policies and to delegate the responsibilities of the police and council such as anti social behaviour (in all its forms) to landlords to have to deal with wherever possible or face further excessive fines. The overpaid police and councils (for what they hould be expected to do and don’t do) – they just want an easy life after all.
Member Since November 2024 - Comments: 81
8:27 AM, 16th May 2025, About 11 months ago
I never ever entered the PRS to do the work dregs of the overpaid paper pushing government, councils or police because they dont want to do what they are responsible for and lack accountability and I do not intend to. When they can no longer use housing providers as scapegoats what will they do then?
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 357
11:55 AM, 16th May 2025, About 11 months ago
Why are landlord organisations like NRLA SAL NI LA not challenging the penalties.
People commit serious crimes do not face the penalties that councils can impose on landlords.
Many just love hammering landlords with Thousands of pounds of penalties.
How can a council worker have such power.
There was a program on TV with London councils . The staff they had some of them they way they thought about landlords and spoke of them . You could here the contempt in their voices.
How will landlords be protected from over zealous council staff.
Surely with £10000 of thousands of penalties a judge should be involved
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 5
2:23 PM, 16th May 2025, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 15/05/2025 – 11:22
This bill is so getting rushed in without dealing with some of the important issues.
How can it be that Angela from the labour party who gave the councils permission to bring in their own selective licensing schemes and we will also have register with the Reform Bill – so why both? 8 know it’s money but they need exposing!! Landlord groups need to be more focul.
Why are landlords not able to vote on this and other issues from surveys.
Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 1506
6:29 PM, 19th May 2025, About 11 months ago
Knowing from experience the quality of government specified and coded software, I expect the landlord database to be a bloody big Excel spreadsheet.