Enforcement of the Renters’ Rights Bill

This guidance is based on the most up to date wording of the Bill as it undergoes the legislative process and as such may be subject to change. Check back regularly for further updates.

The Renters’ Rights Bill (RRB) makes a number of significant changes to the laws that landlords must follow when renting.

For example, once the Bill becomes law, landlords won’t usually be able to offer a fixed term tenancy or take rent in advance of signing the tenancy. They will have to sign up to a new landlord database and they will not be able to use a Section 21 notice to end their tenancy.

To ensure these new rules are in force, the Government has created new offences related to renting. Local authorities will have significantly enhanced powers to investigate and enforce against landlords or agents who commit these offences.

Tenants will also have more powers to enforce their rights by expanding the number of things they can reclaim rent for and extending the duration they can reclaim rent for.

These changes can seem intimidating, and the potential financial penalties for getting things wrong can be high. But most landlords already provide a good service and will be able to adapt to the new rules with a few changes to their practices and documents.

This guide is intended to help identify what changes you might need to make to protect yourself after the Bill becomes law. It goes through the new offences, as well as the new powers available to local authorities. It also lists out who is responsible for enforcing a particular offence.

Under the RRB, every local housing authority will have a number of new duties placed upon them. One of these duties is a new statutory duty to "enforce the landlord legislation in its area.