commons Rejects Lords’ Amendments to Rental Reform Bill, Leaving Landlords and Students Uncertain
LONDON - The House of Commons today overturned nearly all amendments proposed by the House of Lords to the Renters (Reform) Bill, sparking concern over the future availability of housing for students and raising warnings of a shrinking rental market. A key amendment,defeated in the Commons,sought to protect the annual cycle of one- and two-bedroom properties frequently occupied by students in their second year of study and beyond.
The bill, intended to overhaul the private rental sector, now moves forward without provisions ensuring landlords will continue to offer these smaller properties to students from one academic year to the next. Critics argue this lack of certainty could force landlords to exit the student rental market, exacerbating an already strained housing supply and potentially driving up rents. The decision follows warnings from Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves that proposed tax hikes on landlords risk further constricting the rental sector.”Around a third of housing typically lived in by those in their second year of study and above is one- and two-bedroom properties,” explained Ben Beadle, CEO of the National Residential landlords Association. “Under current proposals, neither landlords nor students will have certainty that this type of housing will be available from one academic year to the next.”
Greg Tsuman, managing director for Lettings at Martyn Gerrard Estate agents, described the Lords’ amendments as “injections of common sense,” lamenting that the bill, as currently drafted, demonstrates a ”fundamental misunderstanding of the private rented sector.” He cautioned that a perceived lack of support could drive landlords away, leading to an imbalanced rental market.
“Renters, now more than ever, need professional landlords who are willing to stay in the market and invest further so rents don’t continue to climb,” Tsuman said. The Renters (Reform) Bill aims to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and introduce a strengthened Section 8 process, alongside a digital Property Portal. Though, industry figures are increasingly voicing concerns that the legislation, in its current form, will have unintended consequences for both renters and landlords.
