Renter’s Rights Bill – Lords Amendments

My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I have consistently called for the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, so we welcome the Bill’s commitment to finally delivering on this long-overdue reform. However, we are concerned that the Government is allowing unelected peers, many with vested interests in the property sector, to weaken the Bill in ways which fundamentally undermine its purpose.

The previous Conservative Government’s failure to act on its promise to end no-fault evictions was shameful. Renters have waited over six years for meaningful reform, and they deserve better than a diluted version of what was pledged. While we support the Bill in principle, we urge the Government to strengthen it, such as by applying the Decent Homes Standard to military accommodation, and to resist these regressive amendments.

The changes passed in the Lords, including halving the re-letting ban, expanding student eviction grounds, and introducing new repossession clauses, risk creating new loopholes which landlords could exploit. These amendments would make it harder for renters to feel secure in their homes and easier for bad landlords to act with impunity. The proposal to allow an extra three weeks’ deposit for renters with pets is particularly unfair and risks excluding lower-income households from pet ownership altogether.

We also oppose raising the standard of proof for landlord penalties to the criminal threshold. This would make enforcement far more difficult and would likely embolden those landlords who already operate outside the law.

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have consistently called for a fairer private rented market. We support more inspections, higher standards, and a national register of licensed landlords. Tenants should have the right to long-term security, which is why we’ve called for three-year fixed-term tenancies to become the norm. We welcomed the Bill’s move to periodic tenancies, which in effect allow for indefinite tenancies, but we also recognise the need for flexibility in student housing. Our Housing and Planning spokesperson, Gideon Amos MP, tabled an amendment to allow 10-month fixed-term student tenancies to continue where appropriate.

We are also calling for urgent investment in home insulation to tackle the poor state of energy efficiency in UK housing. Too many tenants are living in cold, damp homes, which are making them ill and driving up fuel poverty.

I urge the Secretary of State and the Housing Minister to reject these damaging amendments when the Bill returns to the Commons.

Thank you for sharing the contact details of Tom Darling from the Renters’ Reform Coalition. I will reach out to him for a briefing to ensure I am fully informed ahead of the next stage of the Bill.