Renters’ Rights Bill

Third Reading

16:27:00

My Lords, I have it in command from His Majesty the King to acquaint the House that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Renters’ Rights Bill, has consented to place his interest, so far as it is affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill. Clause 12: Duty of landlord and contractor to give statement of terms etc Amendment 1

Moved by

1: Clause 12, page 20, line 4, leave out “16B” and insert “16C”

My Lords, these two amendments in my name relate to reference changes within the Bill due to the Government’s amendment with regard to pet insurance and my amendment which the House kindly supported last week with regard to the addition of pet insurance deposits. I beg to move.

My Lords, once again I thank the noble Lord, Lord de Clifford, for all his thoughtful contributions and engagement during the passage of the Bill. Amendments 1 and 2 correct two cross-references in Clause 12 and Schedule 2 and follow on from Amendment 53A on Report. These amendments do not change the substance of the amendment that was agreed on Report and, on that basis, we are happy to agree to them.

Amendment 1 agreed.

Schedule 2: Amendments relating to Chapter 1 of Part 1

Amendment 2

Moved by

2: Schedule 2, page 204, line 5, leave out “16B” and insert “16C”

Amendment 2 agreed.

16:30:00

Motion

Moved by

That the Bill do now pass.

My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their contributions and engagement during the passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill. We have debated this Bill at length—passing the midnight hour on one occasion—over the past six months, with many thoughtful and considered contributions from across the House. I am grateful, in particular, to the Opposition Front Bench, namely the noble Baroness, Lady Scott of Bybrook, and the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson, for their robust and constructive challenge throughout the passage of the Bill. I also thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Thornhill and Lady Grender, for their continued engagement and support. I believe we are in broad agreement that this Bill is long overdue and are looking forward to seeing it make a real difference to people who rely on the sector to live and work. Many noble Lords generously lent their extensive expertise to this debate, including the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, the noble Lords, Lord Young of Cookham, Lord Cromwell, Lord Best, Lord Carrington, Lord de Clifford and Lord Pannick, the noble Baroness, Lady Wolf of Dulwich, and many more. While there may be disagreement on some of the issues we have debated, I know we all share the same aim of ensuring that the private rented sector continues to work for all. Finally, I thank my Whip who sat with me throughout the Bill, my noble friend Lord Wilson of Sedgefield. I am grateful to all the officials who have worked on this Bill, including the Bill team, particularly Aidan Hilton, the Bill manager, but also Hermione, James, Caragh, Tom, Ross, Anna, Camilla, Guy and Stephanie, and my private office. I also pay tribute to all the parliamentary staff, including the clerks, doorkeepers, security and the Public Bill Office, many of whom have had to stay late as we debated this Bill into the early hours. I beg to move.

My Lords, I begin by thanking all noble Lords across the House for their contributions to the scrutiny of the Bill. While we may differ in our views, the commitment shown by Members to improving the private rented sector is evident and deeply valued. I also extend my sincere thanks to the Minister. She has shown courtesy, patience and great resilience throughout this process, defending what we would consider a difficult Bill and, often, an indefensible one. She has defended a policy that we think reflects more political positioning than practical policy-making. Despite the Minister’s efforts, we are left with a piece of legislation that risks doing more harm than good. The facts are stark. According to Savills, the number of rental properties on its books dropped by 42% in quarter 1 this year, compared with the same period in 2024. That means 42% fewer homes available: fewer homes for families, less mobility for renters, less choice, and more pressure on rents. This is not theoretical; it is happening now, and the Bill is accelerating that trend. Its uncertainty around fixed-term tenancies, poorly defined possession grounds, and reliance on stretched tribunals are driving responsible landlords away from the sector. When providers exit, supply shrinks—and when supply shrinks, rents rise. We understand why tenants seek greater security but let us be honest: much of what the Bill tries to fix are symptoms of a very deep problem. There are simply not enough rented properties in this country, and there will be fewer. Instead of addressing that shortage, this legislation papers over the cracks, with layers of regulation that risk doing more harm than good. It treats the pressures of scarcity—rising rents, insecurity and limited choice—as issues that can be regulated away. Regulation without supply is a dead end. What we need is a balanced approach. Yes, let us protect tenants, but let us also create the conditions for responsible landlords to stay in the market, invest and offer decent homes. Without that balance, the consequences are predictable, and they are already playing out. The real target should be the rogue landlords: those who exploit vulnerable tenants and undermine confidence in the sector. The Bill misses that mark. Instead of cracking down on the worst offenders, it heaps new burdens on the majority who act responsibly. What the sector truly needs is a rogue landlord Bill that is targeted, proportionate and enforceable, one that protects tenants without pushing decent landlords out of the market. Instead, we have a Bill that gets the balance wrong. It risks shrinking supply, increasing costs and adding complexity just when we most need clarity and confidence. The Bill does not strike the right balance between protection and provision. It fails tenants, landlords and the very market that it claims to reform. On this side of the House we will continue to monitor the market and challenge the Government to act on any negative outcomes. Before I sit down, I congratulate Sam and Molly in my office—it is her first Bill in this House. I thank them sincerely for the fantastic support they have given me and my noble friend Lord Jamieson throughout the passage of the Bill.

My Lords, we on these Benches have been clear throughout the Bill that we support it very much: its main provisions, including the abolition of no-fault evictions and fixed-term tenancies, and its clear emphasis on tenants’ rights and much more transparency. There is no doubt that it is a radical Bill that will make significant changes to the private rented sector. It has also been said, and I wish to repeat it, that good landlords have nothing to fear from these reforms, and we on these Benches sincerely hope that that will be proved to be the case. It is usual to say that this process is about improving the Bill through reasoned debate and using the expertise of the House. In truth, to me it felt more like a conflict—a battle of tenants versus landlords—with the bold reforms of the Government pitted against the fears and genuine concerns of the landlords, articulated sincerely and robustly by the Opposition Front Bench and others around the House. There were also cross-House issues where only time will tell, such as the capacity of the courts. Another is the impact on all aspects of the housing market, including student landlords and the supply of homes to rent, about which let us say there were polarised views. We share the concerns expressed by the noble Baroness, but we also hope that the recent figures will steady and that, after inevitable initial upheaval, the market will settle down. We look forward to more build-to-rent and more social housing, because both are needed. We hope that the Minister’s assurances on the military homes standard will also come to pass, as our amendment on that issue was won convincingly. Lastly, I have some very genuine thanks. I thank everyone who took part in the many debates on amendments, which were based on honest beliefs and genuine experience, but particularly the Minister for her time, which was generously given, and for her patience—tested perhaps just a little by the determined double act of the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, and the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson. I admired their persistence, but the Minister showed that she was not willing to be moved on the Government’s core planks of the Bill, and her steeliness in the onslaught, however politely delivered, was commendable. We cannot forget the valuable contributions of several noble Cross-Benchers. The noble Lords, Lord Cromwell, Lord Best and Lord Carrington, formed a new trio. There was also much legal wrangling. My learning curve was greatly assisted by several noble Lords who are lawyers, especially the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, even if I did not always agree with them. For its advocacy on behalf of tenants and for shining a light on the reality of many renters, the Renters’ Reform Coalition deserves a big thank you. Generation Rent deserves a special mention—as does the National Residential Landlords Association. For me, it was challenging to read its excellent briefings and pit its persuasive arguments against my own. It is also appropriate to thank all the officers of the House, who have no doubt worked tirelessly to get everything done on time and correctly delivered. This was my first Bill lead, and I am grateful to have had a small but dedicated team behind me, especially my noble friends Lady Grender and Lord Shipley. Where would any of us be without our able and professional staff—in this case, Adam Bull from our Whips’ Office? It has been a worthy task to contribute to the much-needed reform of the private rented sector.

My Lords, traditionally, Third Reading is an occasion to give thanks and congratulations to all those involved in the Bill, whether inside this Chamber or outside. My noble friend the Minister has led us well, as the noble Baronesses, Lady Scott and Lady Thornhill, who is leader of the Liberals on this, have kindly done. At this stage, our Companion makes it plain that the debates of previous stages of the Bill should not be reopened and speeches should be brief. I hope that my noble friend Lord Leong is noting that I am saying this. I intend to abide by these requirements.

Good.

I am now getting congratulations from my noble friend, which are very warmly felt. We cannot, however, leave the Bill without giving profound thanks to my noble friend the Minister for her pioneering of the Bill through all stages of its passage through this House. I think I echo the words of the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, in that regard. Throughout, the Minister has been a paragon of patience and courtesy. She has also been enormously conscientious, holding meetings right up to the third day on Report and sending letters—even though the letter to the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, was somehow in transit on the third day of debate. Not wishing to leave anybody out, she recently thanked and congratulated a Peer on a speech he had not made, but nobody was left out as a result. A special reason to thank and congratulate the Minister is the sheer length and complexity of the Bill. I also congratulate the noble Baronesses, Lady Scott and Lady Thornhill, on dealing with the length and complexity of the Bill, as well as the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson—I am sorry that I did not bring his name to the fore until now. The Bill itself—this is somewhat alarming—stretches over 258 pages but still has to be spliced into earlier statutes, most particularly the Housing Act 1988. I have in my hand the annotated current edition of the Housing Act 1988. It stretches over 383 pages but, by the time the provisions of this Bill have been spliced into it, it will be 600 or 700 pages long. I do not wish to introduce this debate now, but I believe the length of these Bills is a subject that should have attention on another occasion. For example, the Housing Act 1988 can be read in its completion. It tells you the state of landlord and tenant law in 1988. When I first came to the House 54 years ago, legislation was not run in this direction. As I said, this is a matter for another debate on another occasion. I will just end on a personal note. I am aware that it must have been difficult for my noble friend the Minister to have me sitting right behind her and muttering from time to time, but I ask her forgiveness. I am very lame. I always used to sit at the back, but I am afraid my lameness has taken me to immediately behind the Minister. I apologise, but I hope that she will accept that my many interventions were made in a genuine attempt to improve the Bill: to focus more clearly on the rogue landlord and to protect the honest landlord.

I give my very personal thanks to the Minister for her work on this Bill and the enormous amount of follow-up she achieved. Her final letter arrived, as the noble Lord, Lord Hacking, just mentioned, on Friday. I have two reservations. All my amendments were about two matters. The first was the difference of the private rental sector in rural areas and the second was the effect of the Bill on institutional investment in the sector. I will be watching these in the remainder of my stay in the House of Lords. In the meantime, I would like to thank everybody who has been involved and not waste any more of your Lordships’ time.

16:45:00

My Lords, for the thousands of renters and the good landlords who have been disadvantaged by the actions of rogue landlords around this country, not to mention the local authorities that have had to pick up the pieces of the failure to act over the last 14 years, which has created the worst housing crisis in generations, I hope this Bill will be a blessed relief. This Bill, combined with the comprehensive package of measures on housing delivery, including £39 billion in funding for affordable and social housing, comprehensive reform of the planning system and unprecedented investment in construction skills and training, will start the process of delivering what we all want to see—that everybody has a fit, safe, secure and affordable home. My young grandson, who is only nine years old, was asked to write about home the other day. He did a diagram with lots of things saying what he felt home was. At the bottom, he wrote, “Home is as special as love”. I thought that was a marvellous phrase from a nine year-old. I know we will continue to debate some of the detail around the Bill. I hope we can all keep in our minds as we do so how important just having a home is to everybody and how it being safe, secure and affordable is important to everybody.

Bill passed and returned to the Commons with amendments.