BREAKING NEWS - IMPLEMENTATION DATES FOR RENTERS’ RIGHTS ACT 2025 ANNOUNCED
One of the most pressing questions since the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent has been when will the legislation be implemented. Finally the government have announced that key elements of the ACT will be introduced as follows:-
New investigatory powers giving local councils a stronger ability to inspect properties, demand documents, and access third-party data to crack down on rogue landlords and enforce housing standards more effectively will come into effect on 27 December 2025.
Government guidance has been issued twice in a very short space of time and we should be mindful that local authorities will have the power to investigate whether a landlord or an agent letting out private rented housing has broken certain laws.
Time needed to get Ducks in a Row for the Renters’ Rights Act
Kristjan Byfield recently wrote a Linkedin post on the importance of the government allowing time for the lettings industry to prepare for the changes that the #rentersrightsact will bring. Kristjan is right and it’s not just lettings and property management this will affect.
The impact assessment I put together last year (visual learner) illustrates just how far reaching the Act will be. It's seismic.
Let’s start with landlords and letting agents / PMs - they will have to amend and update processes and systems related to pre, during and post tenancy.
Tenants will need to educate themselves or be signposted to these changes.
Legal firms, solicitors, barristers and the Law Commission of England and Wales will become the lynch pins for legal paperwork, advice, court claims (at some point) navigating complex areas of the Act and a comfort blanket of sorts.
1st May 2025 - Renters’ Rights Bill - Fourth Marshalled List for Committee – House of Lords
It’s been an interesting 3 days of the Committee Stage in the House of Lords with the being checked in detail right down to words being added or removed to ensure that the details of relevant sections are they should be.
During committee stage, amendments have been proposed, some of which have been withdrawn, some agreed and some to be ‘moved in committee of the whole house’
What Does to be ‘moved in committee of the whole house’ Mean?
When a new law, in this case, the Renters’ Rights Bill, is going through Parliament, it must pass through several stages. One of these stages is called the Committee of the Whole House.
The Renters’ Rights Bill - Why preparing for change is key to Minimising Risk
I have been decidedly quiet on LinkedIn for the last 4 or 5 days to reflect and take stock of what is happening in the PRS, and to be honest, rest my eyes from all the reading I have been doing over the last 7 months – well more if we factor in the Bill from the previous government.
Research, reading, analysing, interpreting, formatting courses, drafting questions, drafting answers, writing blogs, attending legal seminars & courses, speaking at events, delivering webinars & courses are all part of the remit and require planning. The last time my colleagues and I encountered this volume of work was with the introduction of the Housing Act 2004. I had just embarked on my career in the PRS and sat back whilst my colleagues and barrister / mentor / friend / oracle did the heavy lifting.