Renters' Rights Bill 2024-25: Consideration of Lords amendments

The Renters’ Rights Bill 2024-25 is expected to return to the House of Commons on 8 September 2025 for consideration of Lords amendments. This briefing provides an overview of amendments made to the bill in the House of Lords.

The bill, together with its explanatory notes, impact assessment and transcripts of the parliamentary stages, are available on the parliament.uk website: Renters’ Rights Bill.

What would the bill do?

The bill implements commitments in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto to reform the regulation of the private rented sector and is intended to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes. Significant provisions include:

• abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and reforming the grounds for possession

• strengthening tenants’ rights; for example, the right to challenge above-market rent increases and the right to request to keep a pet

• introducing a new ombudsman service and private rented sector database

• strengthening enforcement powers for local authorities

Most of the bill’s provisions apply only to England.

The Commons Library briefing, Renters’ Rights Bill 2024-25, describes the bill as it was originally introduced and explains its policy background.

Passage of the bill House of Commons

The Renters’ Rights Bill (8 of 2024–25) was introduced in the House of Commons on 11 September 2024 and had its second reading on 9 October 2024.

The bill was considered by a public bill committee over eight sittings in October and November 2024. The government tabled 40 amendments to the bill, all of which were agreed. Opposition parties tabled 55 amendments to the bill (including 14 new clauses), none of which were agreed.

The Commons Library briefing, Renters' Rights Bill 2024-25: Progress of the bill, provides an overview of the bill's progress through the House of Commons prior to report stage.

The bill completed its remaining stages in the Commons on 14 January 2025. 47 government amendments, including four new clauses, were agreed at report stage (PDF). Opposition parties also moved several amendments, three of which were pressed to a vote. No opposition amendments were made to the bill. The bill was read a third time on division and passed.

The Lords Library briefing, Renters’ Rights Bill: HL Bill 60 of 2024–25, provides information about the debate and amendments made at report stage.

House of Lords

The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 15 January 2025. It received its second reading on 4 February 2025.

Committee stage in the House of Lords took place over 11 sittings between 22 April 2025 and 15 May 2025. Members of the House of Lords tabled over 300 amendments to the bill at committee stage. Many of these were ‘probing’ amendments. The government proposed 42 amendments, which were all agreed without a division. No opposition amendments were made to the bill.

The bill’s report stage took place on 1 July 2025, 7 July 2025 and 15 July 2025. A total of 45 amendments to the bill were agreed. Many amendments were minor or technical. However, some more substantive amendments were moved, by both the government and opposition parties, and agreed. In total, there were 15 divisions.

The bill received its third reading on 21 July 2025, and two minor technical amendments were agreed. After debate, the bill was passed and returned to the Commons with amendments.

What substantive changes were made by the Lords?

A list of amendments made by the House of Lords is available on the parliament.uk website: Renters’ Rights Bill: Lords Amendments (PDF).

Government amendments

The following substantive government amendments were agreed:

• Transitional provision: landlords who serve a possession notice before the act is commenced would have up to three months to initiate possession proceedings.

• Rent increases: introduce a power to enable the Secretary of State to make regulations to change the date from which tenants would be required to pay a new rent following an application to the First-tier Tribunal to challenge a proposed rent increase.

• Rent in advance: tenancy agreements in place before commencement and which require rent payable in advance would not need to be amended.

• Pet insurance: remove the provisions in the bill which would enable landlords to require insurance to cover potential property damage by pets.

• Notice to quit by joint tenants: require the consent of all joint tenants to have a shorter notice to quit or to withdraw a notice to quit.

• Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA): ensure the exemption of PBSA from the new assured tenancy system would work effectively and as intended.

• Local authority investigatory powers: remove the requirement for local authorities to give prior notice to the property owner or landlord before entering premises without a warrant for the purposes of certain enforcement action.

Non-government amendments

At report stage, the following substantive amendments proposed by Conservative, Liberal Democrat and crossbench members of the House of Lords were agreed:

• Expand the possession ground 4A to also apply to one-bedroom and two-bedroom properties let to students.

• Extend possession ground 5A to other types of agricultural workers, regardless of their employment status.

• Introduce a new possession ground 8A which would allow a landlord to seek possession of their property where it was needed to house a carer for the landlord or for a member of the landlord’s family.

• Allow a landlord to require a “pet deposit” of up to three weeks’ rent as a condition for consenting to a tenant keeping a pet in the property.

• Reduce from 12 months to six months the restricted period during which landlords cannot relet their property (after using possession ground 1A when they wish to sell their property). And exempt shared owners from the 12-month restriction.

• Enable a primary authority to giveassured advice to lettings agents on achieving compliance under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

• Require local authorities to meet the criminal rather than civil standard of proof when imposing financial penalties for breaches of the rental discrimination and rental bidding requirements.

• Extend the Decent Homes Standard to Ministry of Defence service family accommodation.

Many amendments tabled by members of the House of Lords were withdrawn or not moved following debate. In some cases, the government committed to take action to address concerns raised by members, including to:

• monitor and evaluate the private sector reforms and publish reports two years and five years after the bill’s implementation

• work closely with the Ministry of Justice to assess the effects of the reforms on the courts and tribunals, and to lessen these wherever possible

Commons consideration of Lords amendments

The House of Commons is expected to consider Lords amendments on 8 September 2025.

If the Commons disagrees with any Lords amendments, or makes alternative proposals, then the bill will be sent back to the Lords. This process is referred to as “ping pong”, whereby amendments and messages about the amendments are sent backwards and forwards between the two Houses until agreement is reached.

Once agreement has been reached on the final version of the bill, it can receive Royal Assent and become an Act of Parliament

When will the act come into force?

Following Royal Assent, many of the act’s provisions will require further consultation and secondary legislation to be commenced.

The government wants to see tenants benefit from the reforms as quickly as possible. It therefore intends to introduce the new tenancy system for the private rented sector in one stage. Upon the commencement date, the new tenancy system would apply to all private tenancies: existing assured shorthold tenancies would be converted to periodic assured tenancies, and any new tenancies would be governed by the new rules.

The Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, has committed to providing “sufficient notice” and work closely with tenant and landlord organisations ahead of implementation. The government intends to launch an overarching communications campaign and provide a suite of guidance to help tenants and landlords prepare for commencement of the act.