Ask anyone about the state of the rental market right now and you’ll likely be met with a deep sigh and a heavy eye-roll. London rents continue to rise at the fastest rate in more than a decade and Zoopla’s most recent report predicted that the combination of high prices and low supply is unlikely to improve any time soon.

Amid rogue landlords, unsafe housing conditions and an increasing number of ‘sex for rent’ arrangements being offered to struggling tenants, it’s clear something has to change – and fast.

It’s fitting, then, that the Renters’ Reform Bill is currently back in the House of Commons, five years and four prime ministers after it was first promised. Under the new Labour government, it has been renamed the Renters’ Rights Bill and will aim to “decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants”, according to housing ministers.

The government has vowed to “clean up the mess” in the rental market left behind by the Conservatives, so what are the key changes and how might they affect you?

No-fault evictions will be made illegal

The legislation will include a blanket ban on no-fault evictions under Section 21 (S21) of the 1988 Housing Act. This allows landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice without providing a reason, which housing campaigners have declared a major contributing factor to rising homelessness. Last year, research by housing charity Shelter said nearly 230,000 private renters had been served with a no-fault eviction notice since April 2019.

Landlords will still be able to evict tenants if they have a legal reason, eg if the tenant is in several months’ rent arrears or commits antisocial behaviour.

It will now be easier to have pets

Under the bill, tenants will also be given the legal right to request a pet in their home, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. However, landlords will be able to require pet insurance to cover any damage to their property.

Tenants on benefits or with children will not be discriminated against

The bill will also outlaw landlords imposing a blanket ban on tenants receiving benefits or with children. According to Shelter, one in five families have been unable to rent somewhere in England because they have kids.

Mid-tenancy rent increases will be banned

The bill will also ban rent increases from being written into contracts to prevent mid-tenancy hikes, leaving landlords only able to raise rent once a year at the market rate. Analysis of government figures by Shelter found England’s private renters have paid an extra £473 million every month on rent in 2024 – an average of £103 more per month than they were paying in 2023.

Bidding wars will be cracked down on

The government reforms also crack down on bidding wars between potential tenants. Bidding wars for rental properties have become increasingly common amid a chronic shortage of supply, with tenants typically paying an extra £100 a month above the asking price for their home last year, according to research by the New Economics Foundation.

As such, landlords and agents will be banned from “asking for, encouraging or accepting any bids” above the publicly stated price.

Images: Getty