Tenant awareness of Renters’ Rights Bill remains low
1 year ago | 11 comments
Senior Conservatives and landlords ‘plot’ to block the Renters’ Rights Bill
9:41 AM, 1st April 2025, 1 year ago
24
Senior figures within the Conservative Party have allegedly engaged in confidential discussions with landlords to derail the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, The Guardian reveals.
The meeting, which was arranged by shadow housing minister Baroness Jane Scott, explored options such as initiating a court battle under human rights legislation.
There was also a discussion about stalling progress through numerous amendments in the House of Lords.
The gathering included representatives from the National Residential Landlords Association and Get Living.
Judicial reviews and amendments
The newspaper says that attendees reported that suggestions ranged from judicial reviews to leveraging repeated legislative revisions to push any decisions well into the autumn.
These discussions have ignited allegations of a concerted effort between the Tories and the property sector to obstruct the Bill faces in its final Parliamentary stages.
Ms Scott also expressed frustration over the lack of data showing landlords leaving the PRS because of the Bill, prompting attendees to offer help in sourcing the required statistics.
‘Fewer rental properties available’
Defending the party’s reluctance to adopt Awaab’s law, Ms Scott argued that landlords lack the organisation to meet stringent repair deadlines.
However, this stance drew mixed reactions, the Guardian says, with some saying that this would improve landlord preparedness.
Despite the Conservatives’ earlier attempts to introduce the Renters (Reform) Bill, Kemi Badenoch has adopted a firmer stance against such changes.
A Conservative spokesperson said: “The Conservatives have been cautioning that this bill is profoundly flawed, as it will result in fewer rental properties available.
“As is customary with all legislation, the official opposition consults privately with various stakeholders to gather their perspectives.”
Abolition of Section 21
Central to Labour’s legislative package is the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, set to be implemented once the Bill gains Royal Assent.
Other provisions aim to enforce ‘Awaab’s law’, mandating prompt essential repairs by landlords.
Previously, Michael Gove, as housing secretary, pushed the Renters (Reform) Bill but his efforts were cut short by the calling of the General Election.
At the meeting, Get Living apparently revealed it had enlisted a top barrister to assess a potential human rights challenge, an approach Ms Scott reportedly endorsed.
One participant noted her belief that such a legal move could halt the Bill entirely.
This follows a failed Scottish challenge against a temporary rent cap which argued against property rights violations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
However, a Get Living spokesperson told the newspaper it supported the Bill’s success, while acknowledging worries about its current form potentially creating legal pitfalls.
Some want the Bill passed
Not all property representatives at the meeting were comfortable with the tougher approach, with some pushing for swift passage of the Bill with minor tweaks to ensure more certainty for landlords.
Anny Cullum from the campaign group Acorn, told the newspaper: “The comments by Baroness Scott have confirmed what we suspected: that there is a coordinated attempt by landlords and their supporters within the Lords to frustrate the progress of the Renters’ Rights Bill.”
She added: “Unelected and unaccountable Tory peers are using underhand tactics to deliberately delay this vital legislation even more – legislation that many of them supported in its previous guise under the last government.”
Tags:
Conservative Party, Housing Legislation, Landlords, legal challenges, Lords amendments, property industry, rental reforms, renters rights
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Member Since February 2023 - Comments: 87
11:57 AM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
The government only seem to listen to the likes of Shelter who as we all know, beg money off the public pretending their money is helping them do a service to the needy, but in reality are just paying themselves big salaries for doing NOTHING. Shelter are nothing but parasites. The government are working against us and are even blaming AWAABs law on the PRS when we all know it’s the scandalous councils and housing associations. The government are meaning to make the system as unfair as possible and do not care one bit about struggling tenants or struggling landlords. Why they’re mucking up something that didn’t need fixing is beyond me but something bad is happening in this country and our own government are working against us. They’re too busy changing laws that are discriminatory for most and gone is our fair justice system. I’m actually scared to be in this country now because we have a toxic government and toxic charities working under them. We are heading for a dictatorship, or are we already in one?
Member Since April 2023 - Comments: 3
12:43 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Darren Sullivan at 01/04/2025 – 10:58
Irelevant. Its about students who have a need to find accommodation by a certain deadline irrespective of their age!
Member Since February 2022 - Comments: 203
2:05 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
The Tories started the war on the PRS and Labour are about the finish it. RRB is coming R.I.P PRS both blue and red are to blame here.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3515 - Articles: 5
2:42 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 01/04/2025 – 11:00
..or a lack of understanding by tenants are on what they are responsible to do/their obligations in terms of looking after the house – heating, ventilation etc….
Or a combo of the two.
Member Since September 2015 - Comments: 1013
3:16 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Sheridan Vickers at 01/04/2025 – 11:57Sadly we are already in a Marxist dictatorship in all but name.
The Government is aiming to drive private Landlords out of the PRS.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1442 - Articles: 1
4:02 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Sheridan Vickers at 01/04/2025 – 11:57
Dictatorship, we are certainly heading that way but I do remember pointing out during the run up to the General Election that Labour (Rayner) stated that Labour will INSTRUT the judiciary to implement a hardship test when a landlord applies for a Possession Order ie “who will be in greater hardship IF the Court grants possession to the Landlord”?
This will destroy the separation of powers AND the checks and balances on the Executive ie the Government..
The doctrine of the separation of powers suggests that the principal institutions of state the executive (Government), legislature (Parliament) and judiciary (Courts); should be divided in person and in function in order to safeguard liberties and guard against tyranny.
The earliest and clearest statements of the separation of powers was given by Montesquieu (1748 ” When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty… there is no liberty if the powers of judging is not separated from the legislative and executive … there would be an end to everything, if the same man or the same body… were to exercise those three powers.
The independent action of the separate institutions should create a system of checks and balances between them. No checks and balances = dictatorship.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1442 - Articles: 1
4:04 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 01/04/2025 – 14:42
Sadly no-one can dictate how another person is to live their lives – according to LA Environmental Health depts, as against a tenants human rights.
Ughhhhh
Member Since April 2014 - Comments: 985 - Articles: 2
4:47 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
“Ms Scott also expressed frustration over the lack of data showing landlords leaving the PRS” Members of the NRLA should have an expectation that NRLA source this data. If the NRLA are unable to do this, why!
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 55
5:15 PM, 1st April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Martin Freeman at 01/04/2025 – 12:43
Not irrelevant the clue is in the word equality people of a certain age are denied a fixed term which equals less favourable treatment. The government got defeated along the same lines with public sector pensions fire service, police and judges. It’s not and should never be just about students. This proposed legislation is illegal.
Member Since May 2023 - Comments: 225
12:05 AM, 2nd April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 01/04/2025 – 11:24
The review model works well for eBay and AirBnB.because all participants are reviewed, not just the landlord.
The delusion that consumer protection means there is only one consumer, the tenant, is the Problem.
Reality is a property supply chain with many value adding links, all required to work for the end result. Fairness means all participants must be held to account. Many more roles are important to the fair market, including agents, lenders, insurers, decorators, cleaners, gas engineers, electricians, inspectors, valuers, lawyers, courts, so all should be in the database working for a fair and legal result.
Failure to see the big picture makes the RRB weak and unfair, ultimately unable to fix the rental market…