0:01 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago
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Propertymark is calling on the government and Peers to revise the Renters’ Rights Bill to ensure it meets the needs of both tenants and landlords.
The organisation is highlighting several critical areas requiring adjustment to make the Bill effective and practical.
A major concern is the strain on the court system, where delays from claim to hearing are increasing.
The Bill’s current structure could exacerbate this, it says, as landlords, no longer able to use no-fault evictions, will need to provide evidence for eviction reasons.
That could, potentially, lead to more contested hearings in a system which Propertymark warns is already stretched.
To allow England’s 23,000 letting agents to adapt, Propertymark advocates for a minimum six-month transition period of the Bill.
This would enable agents to update systems, train staff and prepare to support 11 million tenants and 2.3 million landlords effectively.
Propertymark’s chief executive, Nathan Emerson, said: “Further last-minute changes by the UK government to the Renters’ Rights Bill that haven’t been consulted on are disappointing as letting agents plan for change.
“Report Stage allows for another opportunity for the government to engage with the sector and ensure the legislation is fit for purpose and reduces costs for landlords and tenants.”
On pet policies, Propertymark has welcomed a shift in the Bill following the government’s decision to abandon mandatory pet insurance.
Instead, it supports an amendment proposed by The Earl of Kinnoull for an additional pet damage deposit equivalent to three weeks’ rent.
This follows the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which capped deposits at five- or six-weeks’ rent depending on annual rent levels, limiting landlords’ ability to cover pet-related damages.
Timothy Douglas, Propertymark’s head of policy and campaigns, said: “Without allowing pet deposits, the UK government risk further undermining their efforts to support tenants to rent with pets.
“We know that the Tenant Fees Act 2019 is a barrier to renting with pets with one in five landlords who previously allowed pets no longer doing since the passing of the Act.
“Furthermore, 57% of landlords and agents said they were unable to recoup the cost of damage caused by pets.”
He added: “Lord Kinnoull’s amendment for an additional pet damage deposit offers a better opportunity to support renters and protect landlords.”
Propertymark is also calling for extending deposit cap requirements to address advance rent issues and incentivise landlords to accept pets.
That move follows a poll showing that 57% of landlords and agents report being unable to recover pet damage costs.
The organisation is also urging the implementation of short-term rental property registration, as outlined in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, to create fairness between short- and long-term rental markets.
With fixed-term tenancies set to be abolished, it is also seeking to extend Ground 4A protections to one- and two-bedroom student properties, allowing landlords to reclaim these for new student cohorts, a provision currently limited to Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
