Reform UK vow to scrap the Renters’ Rights Act
9:02 AM, 25th February 2026, 1 month ago
32
Reform UK will pledge to scrap the Renters’ Rights Act if it wins the next general election, with deputy leader Richard Tice arguing the law is already reducing supply and pushing up rents.
The Act secured Royal Assent in October after it was introduced by former housing secretary Angela Rayner and builds on the earlier Renters’ Reform Bill first unveiled by the Conservative government in 2019.
Labour said the legislation would ‘level the playing field and create a fairer housing market for all’.
In a speech in Birmingham, Mr Tice described the Act as ‘well intentioned’, but said it was ‘already reducing the supply of properties to rent and therefore increasing the prices’.
Too risky for landlords
He continued: “The issue is many landlords are now concluding that’s it’s too risky to be able to essentially remove an occupier/tenant if they want, for example, to sell the property, if the tenant is not paying.
“There’s a balance of risk and reward.
“Too many landlords have said enough is enough.”
Mr Tice added: “Again, it’s well intentioned in terms of the issues around the period for notice to quit, but actually it’s just gone way beyond this.”
Plans are a ‘disgrace’
The chief executive of Generation Rent, Ben Twomey, said: “Forcing people back into insecure and unsafe homes is not a promise, it’s a threat levelled at England’s 11 million private renters.
“Our homes are the foundations of our lives, so it is disgraceful to see Reform UK pledging to roll back new and essential protections that would improve the quality of our homes and help us to stay in them for longer.”
He added: “Reform UK had nothing to say at the debates about the Renters’ Rights Bill when it was passing through Parliament.
“They also haven’t spoken to renter groups like us about their plans, which would be a gift to unscrupulous landlords who are responsible for the poor conditions renters face right now.”
RRC also disagrees
On X/Twitter, the Renters’ Reform Coalition said: “Over two-thirds of the public supports the end of Section 21 evictions.
“So, why does Reform want to repeal renters’ rights?
“Scrapping the Renters’ Rights Act would just mean more homelessness and insecurity for England’s 11 million renters. Reform should think again.”
Labour’s ‘daft’ reforms
Reform says it would introduce a ‘great repeal bill’ to reverse the rental reforms and other Labour measures it describes as being ‘daft’.
The repeal would sit within a broader economic plan focused on investment and growth.
Housing policy would be absorbed into a new Great Office of State, the Department of Business, Trade and Energy.
The proposed department would take on responsibility for business regulation and energy as well as housing.
Smarter regulation planned
Mr Tice has also set out plans for ‘smarter regulation’, lower energy bills and a British sovereign wealth fund to support manufacturing.
The Local Government Pension Scheme, under the proposals, would be converted into a fund of up to £575bn to back domestic growth.
The party says it would prioritise strategic industries, including steel, oil, gas and defence.
It will also call for ‘heavy tariffs and tight quotas’ on Chinese cars, citing concerns about Britain’s automotive sector.
Watch Richard Tice announce the repeal of the Renters’ Rights Act:
Tags:
Angela Rayner housing policy, landlord regulation reform, Renters’ Rights Act, Richard Tice Reform UK, Section 21 Abolition, UK Private Rented Sector
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
or
Previous Article
Renters turn to commuter towns as demand soars
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1435 - Articles: 1
10:19 AM, 28th February 2026, About 1 month ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 24/02/2026 – 17:03
The only good bit is out there the reasons for eviction ie listing ALL applicable s8 grounds. Good warning to remaining landlords as should be asking tenants and previous landlord grounds used to evict.
Member Since October 2024 - Comments: 188
5:33 PM, 5th March 2026, About 1 month ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 25/02/2026 – 14:12
Even when you take a legal action, you have to pay separately to register a CCJ against the defaulting tenants, who are not bothered about getting a CCJ, especially if they are on long term home allowance, who fail to pay rent on the basis that the council will provide accomodation when they are homeless after the bailiff gets them out. Registration a CCJ is not automatic.
Member Since October 2024 - Comments: 22
10:00 AM, 12th March 2026, About 4 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 25/02/2026 – 14:36
Sadly, successive “Governments” do not appear to have had “practical” in their vocabularies:(
Member Since March 2026 - Comments: 1
5:26 PM, 16th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Well done Reform ,the renters right act ,was not thought through properly..So scrap it!! Make life easier for good landlords .We will come back in our droves
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1996 - Articles: 21
11:17 AM, 18th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Disillusioned Landlord at 27/02/2026 – 12:06
“All these renters rights groups have a lot to answer for, none of us on here want to increase rents, none of us want shoddy homes, none of us want to be asking good tenants to leave, but that is what these groups would have you believe.”
I should have responded earlier. You may be right that “none of us on here” want to do bad things. The problem is a minority of in some cases venal and in other cases incompetent landlords who don’t abide by the rules, don’t carry out their own responsibilities, evict tenants capriciously and give the rest of us a bad name. You only have to read some of the cases to see this.
The ensuing legislation we have had creates an incentive for Councils and tenants egged on by ambulance chasing lawyers to pursue decent landlords for mistakes that do no harm to the tenant (such as late registration of a deposit).
Your post acknowledges this but the problem remains of bad landlords. I would support landlords having to take CPD courses to develop and maintain competence and knowledge of the law. Generation Rent and Shelter are part of the problem but landlords need to realise that some in our midst are too.
Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 1562
11:46 AM, 18th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 18/03/2026 – 11:17
‘Some’ is a very vague amount, how many % is that exactly?
The RRA has been driven through using vague emotive terms without solid facts or thought of the consequences.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1996 - Articles: 21
12:11 PM, 18th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 18/03/2026 – 11:46
Monty, what is your point? True ” ‘Some’ is a very vague amount” but the percentage of bad landlords is, unfortunately, not negligible. The fact that I cannot say “how many % is that exactly?” (I doubt the statistic is obtainable) does not respond to my point.
Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 1562
7:24 PM, 18th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 18/03/2026 – 12:11“Monty, what is your point?”
Making far reaching legislation based on vague emotive terms like ‘some’ or ‘not negligible’ is stupid.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1996 - Articles: 21
10:52 AM, 19th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 19:24
Monty, for some inexplicable reason I have touched a nerve with you. I don’t appreciate being called stupid, albeit I am not legislating but Governments, Conservative and Labour are. I have never seen the words “some” and “not negligible” described as emotive. How so?
The corollary of your point is that rogue landlords are few and far between and all is well so no action is needed. Today’s item on fire safety failures https://www.property118.com/fire-safety-audit-show-45-of-flats-failing-checks/ bears out my point. Too many landlords either don’t know what to do or fail to do it.
The trouble is that one landlord who evicts a family for complaining about disrepair generates more action that one hundred satisfied tenants with responsible landlords. In the course of buying properties to let I have seen some awful conditions and some completely ignorant (even if well-meaning) landlords. So the problem is not negligible. Claiming otherwise will only encourage the politicians that dislike us to be even more aggressive.
Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 365
11:05 AM, 19th March 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/03/2026 – 10:52
I would add it is not just landlords who are ignorant about fire safety, but in blocks of flats it is the property management companies who just don’t care, which I have experienced. I tried to involve my MP , going as far as the Lords but the apathy was shocking. You would expect after Grenfell management companies would be 100% involved but flat fires in London are still happening.
Also tenants are just as responsible, when they are told a block of flats is no smoking, anywhere, you still find clumps of cigarette butts that have been discarded from windows.