NRLA chief calls on government to avoid unhelpful rhetoric on Renters’ Rights Act

The government should avoid unhelpful rhetoric when communicating with landlords about the Renters’ Rights Act, a landlord association has claimed.

Speaking to the London Assembly Housing Committee on the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) chief executive Ben Beadle said the legislation should be communicated in a balanced way that addresses both landlords and tenants.

Mr Beadle also questioned why selective licensing schemes were still needed when the Renters’ Rights Act will act as an enforcement tool through the introduction of a Private Rented Sector Database.

Need good landlords to stay in the market

Speaking at the committee, Mr Beadle referenced the comments from the panel beforehand which included renter groups such as Generation Rent and ACORN who accused landlord of “conning renters.”

Mr Beadle hit back at the claims and says this type of language should not be used when communicating about the Renters’ Rights Act.

He said: “There is a school thought out there that good landlords are getting hammered and everybody gets tarnished with the same brush.

“I refer to one of the previous comments in the panel before that landlords are conning renters, they are absolutely not, and we need to be very careful with our language.

“I think from a policy perspective we have to be very careful on the impact of good landlords because we need supply and need good landlords stay in the market.”

Government stay clear of unhelpful rhetoric

Mr Beadle pointed out that this type of rhetoric needs to be avoided by the government and the communication around the Renters’ Rights Act needs to be addressed in a balanced way.

He said: “It 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.

“It’s very important that local authorities and the government stay clear of unhelpful rhetoric and focus solely on what the reforms are going to bring, which is hopefully security for renters and certainty for landlords.”

Local authorities have become addicted to selective licensing cash

The government has previously claimed that selective licensing schemes and the PRS Database serve different purposes.

However, Mr Beadle told the Committee there’s no need for selective licensing schemes under the Renters’ Rights Act and urged the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan to simplify how properties are licensed.

He said: “The Renters’ Rights Act will deal with licensing. It will create a database for landlords, and every property will be listed on it. If you don’t register your property, you will face a fine. With this system in place, you don’t need the duplication of selective licensing.

“Local authorities have become addicted to this cash, and it’s difficult to replace. The database system will allow for targeted enforcement and give renters the information they need, without the need for double licensing.

“The whole licensing regime needs to be much more straightforward, but if Rachel Reeves gets licensing wrong, what hope is there for the average landlord?”

Court system is on its knees

The NRLA has called on the government to invest more in the courts ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act, which comes into force on 1 May 2026.

Mr Beadle referenced the Master of the Rolls, who warned that abolishing Section 21 is likely to create more contested possession cases, and urged the government to provide greater clarity.

He told the committee: “There is a huge unknown around court capacity and court reform. Both renters and landlords need access to justice, and we need more investment in the court system.

“The court system is on its knees. With the abolition of Section 21 and the introduction of a new system, it is right to say this will require greater scrutiny. Given that it currently takes an average of nine months to regain possession, it is difficult to see how that timeline will improve under the new system without further investment.”

You can watch a clip of Mr Beadle speaking to the committee below.