The Renters’ Reform Bill is finally due to be published and introduced into Parliament next week.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has told Sky News: “We’re introducing new legislation, it will be out next week and it will change the way in which the relationship between landlords and tenants work, providing tenants with new protection which should ensure that they’re better protected from arbitrary rent increases.”
The Bill is expected to include a wide range of reforms including the much-publicised abolition of Section 21 eviction powers for landlords, an apparent strengthening of Section 8 eviction powers, probably a mandatory landlord register and the introduction of a Decent Homes Standard for the private sector akin to that operating for social housing providers now.
The Bill was first mooted in 2019 and the government has had substantial criticism from activist groups for its slowness at introducing it into Parliament.
The details of the Bill will reveal which measures, if any, can be introduced into law at short notice and which may require primary legislation, which takes up to a year to get through Parliament.