Mayor of London urged to boost awareness of Renters’ Rights Act

The London Assembly Housing Committee has warned that low awareness of the Renters’ Rights Act among London renters could undermine reforms.

The committee reports that more than 65% of renters in the capital have either not heard of the Act or do not understand what it means for them.

The committee is calling on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to boost public communication of the Act, including posters across the London Underground.

Awareness of the new law is worryingly low

Chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee, Zoë Garbett AM, said: “The Renters’ Rights Act will introduce major changes to renting, but these reforms will only work if renters know about them and feel confident exercising their rights when faced with unlawful behaviour from non-compliant landlords.”

“Our investigation found awareness of the new law is worryingly low. Without clear information and support, many renters simply won’t benefit from the protections the Act is meant to deliver.

“The Mayor has the reach to ensure Londoners understand these new rights before the law comes into force.”

Communication should be stepped up

In a letter to Mr Khan, the committee claimed that evidence from Generation Rent shows two in five London renters would not feel confident taking action against their landlord over disrepair or concerns about illegal behaviour.

The committee is urging Mr Khan to boost communication around the Renters’ Rights Act to help renters understand their rights. They say communication should focus on measures in the act, including the abolition of Section 21 evictions, the right to request a pet, and a ban on rental bidding.

With the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May 2026, the committee says communication should be stepped up as the act nears implementation.

The committee says the Mayor should use all available channels to communicate the Renters’ Rights Act, including social media and advertising across the Transport for London network, such as posters on the Underground, and coordinate messaging closely with boroughs, renters’ organisations, and housing charities.

Communication must be balanced

As previously reported by Property118, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned any messaging around the Renters’ Rights Act should be communicated in a balanced way that addresses both landlords and tenants.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “Messaging needs to be done in an equal way. You may think the private rented sector is the wild west, and there are loads of bad landlords out there. However, the statistics don’t bear that out and the private rented sector has a far higher satisfaction rating than the social housing sector.

“We need to make sure we are encouraging tenants to access the rights that are being afforded to them, but also speaking even-handedly to the landlord who we depend on so much to provide good quality housing.”