Agents prepare for Renters’ Rights Bill in exclusive event

In February, Reapit hosted an exclusive legislative briefing and Q&A on the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill in Westminster.

Speakers included Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government; legal expert David Smith from JMW; and political consultant Simon Darby from PLMR. PayProp’s/Reapit’s Commercial Director Dr Neil Cobbold, Reapit Product Analyst David Boughtflower, and Reapit Head of Training Alex Geach also walked clients through the upcoming changes to the Reapit platform designed to help clients manage the bill’s new requirements.  

Clients learned how to prepare for the bill by communicating with landlords, training staff, liaising with suppliers and adapting processes to comply with the new laws. They were also walked through some of the trickier aspects of the bill, such as the new rules around guarantors and the sweeping new investigative powers handed to local councils.

Bill approaches final hurdle in House of Lords

The Renters’ Rights Bill received its second reading in the House of Lords on 4 February. This was the first chance for all members to debate the bill, and they had several concerns, many of which have already been raised by industry professionals.

• Private purpose-built student housing will be “removed from the assured tenancy system”, according to housing minister Baroness Taylor. She also said that HMO landlords renting to students would receive a new possession ground to evict students ahead of the new academic year. But others warned that this wouldn’t protect all student landlords, and called for the rules to be extended to one- and two-bed flats rented by students.

• Enforcement could be a challenge. Local authorities may not have the resources to ensure that landlords are following the new rules, while courts could be overwhelmed by an increase in eviction cases. Lords also warned that First-tier Tribunals may struggle to keep up with tenants challenging rent increases in court.

• The ban on bidding wars could simply encourage landlords to set higher asking rents. Meanwhile, the ban on taking large amounts of rent up front could prevent some people – such as those with no rental history in the UK – from securing properties to rent.

Following the third reading, the bill moves on to the Lords committee stage. At this point, committee members can suggest amendments to the bill that will be voted on by the Lords in the third reading – likely to take place in March. Letting agents and landlords will hope that the Lords take their concerns on board, but any amendments they propose will still have to be agreed in the House of Commons too.