commons Rejectsโ Lords’ โAmendments to Rental Reform Bill, Leaving Landlords and Studentsโฃ Uncertain
LONDON โข-โ The House of Commons today overturned nearly all amendments proposed by the House of Lordsโ to the Renters (Reform) Bill, โsparking concern over the future availability of housing for students and raising warningsโ of aโข shrinking rental market. A key amendment,defeatedโค in the โCommons,sought toโค protect the annual โขcycle of one- andโค two-bedroom properties frequently occupied by students in their second year of study andโค beyond.
The bill, intended to overhaul theโข private rentalโ sector,โ now โmoves โforward without provisions ensuring landlords will continue to offer โฃthese smallerโ properties to studentsโ from one academicโ year to the next. Critics argue this lack of certainty could force landlords toโ exit โthe student rental market, โฃexacerbating โan already strained housing supply and potentially driving up rents. The decision follows warnings from Shadow Chancellor โRachel Reeves thatโค proposed tax hikes on landlords risk further constricting the rental sector.”Around a โthirdโข of housing typically lived in by those โin their second year of study and above โขis โone- and two-bedroom properties,” explained Ben Beadle, CEO of the National Residential landlords Association. “Under current proposals, neither landlords nor students will have certaintyโ 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, describedโข the Lords’ amendments as “injections of โcommon sense,” lamenting โthat the bill, as currently drafted, demonstrates a โฃ”fundamental misunderstandingโค of the private rented โsector.” He cautioned that a โฃperceived lack โof support could drive landlords away, leading to an โขimbalanced rentalโฃ market. โฃ
“Renters, now more than ever, need professional landlords who are willing to stay โขin the market and invest further so rents don’tโข continue to climb,” โคTsuman said. The Renters (Reform) Billโ aims โขto abolishโ Section 21โ ‘no-fault’ evictions and โฃintroduceโ aโค strengthened Section 8 process, alongside a โคdigital Property Portal. Though, industry figuresโ are increasingly voicing concerns that โฃthe legislation, in its current form, will have unintended consequences for โboth โขrenters and landlords.
