Opposition peers have told the government that its “indefensible” Renters’ Rights Bill risks doing more harm than good.
Speaking during the final stage in the House of Lords, Shadow Housing Minister Baroness Bybrook (main image) said the Bill was accelerating the trend for fewer family homes, lower mobility for renters, less choice, and more pressure on rents.
Meanwhile, uncertainty around fixed-term tenancies, poorly defined possession grounds, and reliance on stretched tribunals were driving responsible landlords away from the sector.
“The real target should be the rogue landlords: those who exploit vulnerable tenants and undermine confidence in the sector,” she told peers. “Instead of cracking down on the worst offenders, it heaps new burdens on the majority who act responsibly.
“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.”
Bybrook argued there were not enough rental properties but instead of addressing that shortage, the legislation – “a difficult Bill and, often, an indefensible one” - papered over the cracks, with layers of regulation that risked doing more harm than good.
Baroness Thornhill said although the Lib Dems supported the legislation, trying to improve it had 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”.
“We share the concerns expressed by the noble Baroness, but we also hope that the recent figures [around supply] will steady and that, after inevitable initial upheaval, the market will settle down,” she added.
The Bill now passes to the House of Commons, but as it breaks for summer recess today until 1st September, there are only 27 days to get Royal Assent before the Labour Conference starts on the 28th.
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