10:14 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago 15
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A Labour peer has criticised the government for accepting only three amendments while rejecting around 300 others to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
During the report stage debate, Lord Hacking blasted the government “for not listening to the House.”
Peers clashed over a number of amendments, including those aimed at retaining fixed-term tenancies and grounds for student evictions.
Lord Hacking slammed the government for failing to listen to Peers.
He said: “It is true that, in the Minister’s letter of 24 June, the government, through the Minister, have accepted three amendments. I am very grateful for that, but that is a very small number against the rejection of 300 amendments. By applying normal averages, it cannot be right that the Government were always right in Committee on all these amendments and that the rest of us were always wrong.
“To put it bluntly, the rejection of over 300 amendments shows that they are not listening to this House.”
Lord Hacking, says as a landlord himself he knows the consequences of abolishing fixed-term tenancies and tabled an amendment “to allow landlords and tenants, if they wish, to agree a fixed-term tenancy.”
Other Peers supported his amendment to retain fixed-term tenancies.
Lord Truscott said: “Polls have shown that a majority of tenants and landlords want to have fixed terms, and His Majesty’s Government have given no reason why they think they know best. The arguments against mutually agreed agreements on fixed tenancies are, frankly, unconvincing and threadbare. They result in more, not less, security for tenants, and less chance of familial disruption.”
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, did admit fixed-term tenancies do have some benefits for tenants but rejected Lord Hacking’s amendment.
She said: “I accept that fixed terms have some benefit for tenants under the current system because they offer some respite from the awful threat of Section 21, which hangs like the sword of Damocles over tenants’ heads. With Section 21 gone, that advantage will be extinguished, so there is even less reason why a tenant would agree voluntarily to a fixed term. Even if freely agreed, there is nothing equal about a fixed term.
“Under the current system, landlords can rightly seek possession during a fixed term if a tenant breaches the terms of their rental. Possession grounds are available if a tenant misses rent payments, damages the property, commits anti-social behaviour or indeed breaches any term of their tenancy.
“Noble Lords would then imagine that, in a fair contract, a tenant could also terminate the tenancy if the landlord failed to fulfil their responsibilities during the term, but in almost all cases tenants do not have this choice. Landlords can allow properties to fall into disrepair, leave properties unsafe to live in, and still tenants must pay rent month after month. This is fundamentally unbalanced. It is critical that we act to reset the scales.”
However, members of the House of Lords voted by 221 to 196 to keep Amendment 5 seeks to expand ground 4A, which allows students living in HMOs to be evicted in line with the academic year.
The amendment would remove the HMO restriction and allow students living in self-contained accommodation, one and two-bedroom properties, to be evicted each year.
Baroness Scott of Bybrook from the Conservatives says the amendment is not about “throwing out students” but keeping certainty.
She said: “The current restriction on ground 4A, which limited it to properties with three or more bedrooms, is both arbitrary and unfair. Many students, in particular postgraduates, international students and mature students, live in one-bedroom or two-bedroom properties.
In Committee, the Minister said: “Limiting it to HMOs captures the bulk of typical students.”
“The Minister is right: it captures the bulk, but not all of them. When housing is scarce, we need all available options. When choices are limited, we must protect every viable home. Let us be clear: ground 4A is not about throwing students out of their homes, it is about ensuring that landlords can confidently re-let for the next academic year and that students can confidently plan their lives.”
You can watch a clip of Lord Hacking below
Northernpleb
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Sign Up10:56 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
The fact that 300 amendments were suggested show what a poor piece of legislation this is .
Both Landlords and Tenants will be victims of the Renters Reform Bill.
dismayed landlord
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Sign Up11:42 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
As landlords there is no reason to be victims of anything. We can always leave. Whatever your circumstances you have options.
Tenants are victims - especially the poorest and most vulnerable who really have no options. Exclude the rich renting because it’s a life style choice.
Where is the justice?
Where are shelter / generation rent etc now when the homeless figures rise.
Spending their inflated salaries in the Caribbean on holiday and living it up. Whilst the people they claim to want to help curl up in a shop doorway.
Hope they and all governments are please with this fiasco!
Jo Westlake
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Sign Up11:45 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
One of my concerns about joint student tenancies not being fixed term is if one student unilaterally gives notice after a few weeks the whole group has to move out. Why should one tenant have the power to disrupt the lives of multiple housemates in this way?
Theoretically the group could try to find a replacement for the departing one but it is hard to find random students mid way through the academic year. Council tax exemption makes it incredibly expensive for a non student to fill the gap. How would that work with being able to regain possession for the next academic year anyway?
Personally I prefer individual tenancies so tenants aren't tied to eachother but several mortgage lenders won't allow them.
The Council tax exemption is becoming a real problem. This year I've come across several Masters students who want to rent one of my student houses. Then they tell me one of them finishes their Masters in September, two in January and one is actually on a 3 year PhD course. The others all intend to get jobs as soon as their courses finish. From a regaining the property point of view would they be classed as students or not? They applied for a house that was advertised as a student house, Council tax isn't included in the rent (as students are exempt), from January onwards 3 of them wouldn't be students.
Kate Mellor
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Sign Up12:19 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
It's odd that initially there was talk of increasing the length of fixed terms and now they're hell bent on getting rid of them all together.
The fact that they're ignoring the desire of the majority of tenants to retain fixed terms shows that the govt's motivation is not the tenant's welfare.
There's definitely a determined govt agenda to control and monitor landlords and keep a gun to our heads.
Who's looking forward to the old Making Tax Digital quarterly tax returns coming next year? My accountant is probably loving the idea! He's probably already ordered his new sports car on the strength of it (lol).
Every extra straw they stack on our backs is only going onto those of us who respect and abide by the law and have a moral compass. Those "rogue" guys are just laughing up their sleeves and carrying on as before.
Stella
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Sign Up12:47 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
They are doing everything they can to get rid of the PRS. They want the BlackRock's of this world to take over.
I cannot see how not having a fixed term of at least six months is going to work not just for students but for everyone.
This bill should be scrapped!
Blodwyn
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Sign Up13:24 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
This mess suggests law made on the hoof by legal illiterates.
How can we blame Judges who come to odd conclusions when given garbage for guidance?
Kate Gould
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Sign Up13:27 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
"Noble Lords would then imagine that, in a fair contract, a tenant could also terminate the tenancy if the landlord failed to fulfil their responsibilities during the term, but in almost all cases tenants do not have this choice. Landlords can allow properties to fall into disrepair, leave properties unsafe to live in, and still tenants must pay rent month after month."
There should be existing rights for tenants to allege repudiatory breach of landlord covenant and terminate in these situations. Deductions from rent for disrepair may also give a defence to a claim for rent arrears. It would be helpful if the government could explain what the existing law says in these situations rather than making blanket statements like this. If the current law really doesn't deal with the issue adequately, then let's have a statutory right for tenants to break the lease in those situations. Preventing tenants from agreeing to fixed terms just in case the property may fall into disrepair is throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Beaver
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Sign Up14:05 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Northernpleb at 02/07/2025 - 10:56
This is certainly a highly flawed piece of legislation. Government policy is reducing competition in the rental market and I think that the government should not be permitted to enact its legislation until the Competition and Markets Authority has taken another look at it.
Cider Drinker
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Sign Up15:57 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
The abolition of fixed terms doesn’t bother me. My tenants stay forever and I’ll never offer a new tenancy to anybody ever again. I’m selling if and when tenants leave.
Some of my tenants are in fixed terms at their request. I have let them know that these will become periodic if that is what the law requires. After 17 years of fixed terms (typically three years) with rents fixed for three years, they are disappointed that the Bill removes that security.
Chuck Jaeger
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Sign Up17:37 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
Until reform get in this will continue to be a rough ride.