Renters’ Rights Bill completes passage through Parliament

The Renters’ Rights Bill has today completed its passage through Parliament – the final step before the Bill receives Royal Assent and moves into law. 

This means the Bill has been finalised and any further detail will need to be introduced through secondary legislation.

The Bill will need final checks before it receives Royal Assent, and while there is no strict timeframe for this to happen, it could be within days.

What happens next? 

Nothing will change on the day of Royal Assent and it will be up to the Government when it wants to bring in the new rules.

Ministers have remained tight lipped as to whether they will announce this date on Royal Assent or later.

The only timeframe that has been confirmed so far, is for the introduction of new investigatory powers for local authorities, which will come into force within two months of Royal Assent. 

While we don't have confirmed dates at this stage, we do know the order in which change will happen:

• Royal Assent:

This will see the King 'sign off' the Bill, at which point it will become an Act of Parliament and move into law

• Implimentation/commencement date:

This could be announced at Royal Assent or some time after and is the date at which the tenancy elements of the Act, including the loss of the fixed term and the abolition of Section 21 will be introduced. There will be a transition period between Royal Assent and commencent, although the Government has not confirmed how long this will be.

• Secondary legislation announced:

This secondary legislation will include the detail of what needs to be included in new tenancy agreements, as well as the information that will need to be given to tenants whose existing ASTs will automatically convert to periodic tenancies at the point of commencement. Note that you do not need to use new agreements for existing tenancies at the point of commencement, only for new tenancies signed after that date.

• New documentation available:

A full suite of all required documents will be available to download from our website within four to six weeks of secondary legislation being announced. This is to allow the policy team to draft new agreements and other official paperwork for comprehensive legal checks to take place. This will ensure all documents are fully compliant with the new legislation. Keep an eye on our new site, newsletters and social media channels to find out when this is.

We are continuing to press the Government to confirm its timetable for change as soon as possible, to allow you the time you need to prepare – arguing this should be a minimum of six months for the first tranche of changes. 

What about the other elements of the Act?

Other provisions within the act, such as the introduction of a new ombudsman and landlord database are expected to come later - and will require further secondary legislation before they can be implimented. 

How can I get ready? 

There are a few things you can do to get ahead of the curve and make sure you’re ready for the changes to come into effect:  

• Review your portfolio  

• Inspect your properties and address any potential hazards  

• Update your processes around tenant referencing, advertising, and logging complaints/issues  

• If you use an agent to let or manage your property, check that they are ready for the changes  

We also have a wide range of resources to help you. 

You can check out our Renters’ Rights Bill Hub for FAQs and guidance and can also join the thousands of landlords who have already taken our Renters’ Rights Bill training courses. Click here for more information.   

We would also invite you join the NRLA and guests including property guru Sarah Beeny at our annual Housing Conference next month, where we’ll be exploring the ways in which you can best navigate the changes up ahead.