What is Labour’s Renters Rights Bill – and will it end no-fault evictions?

Published

1 year ago

September 11, 2024

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The Renters Reform Bill is back in the commons, five years and four prime ministers after it was first promised.

This time it’s Labour’s version – with the new party of government vowing to improve and complete the set of proposals the Tories pledged, then watered down, and then abandoned altogether before the general election.

Now, it is being called the Renters Rights Bill, and it aims to “decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants”, according to housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

Here Sky News takes a look at what will be in the legislation.

No-fault evictions banned

Crucially, the legislation will include a blanket ban on no-fault evictions under Section 21 (S21) of the 1988 Housing Act.

This allows landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice without providing a reason.

Housing campaigners say they are a major contributing factor to rising homelessness.

Former Conservative prime minister Theresa May made the pledge to scrap S21 notices on 15 April 2019, and it was also in her successor Boris Johnson’s manifesto.

But the Tories went on to announce an indefinite delay to the plan to ban them, pending court reforms, following pressure from backbench landlord MPs.

The early timing of the general election meant the plans were ultimately ditched, but Labour confirmed in its first King’s Speech it would build on the Tories’ legislation with a strengthened version of the original bill.

The new government will ban Section 21 evictions for both new and existing tenancies, with the new system expected to be in place by summer, Mr Pennycook said.

He told LBC that this means landlords will not be able to “arbitrarily evict any tenant with a Section 21 notice, including tenants that make complaints about things like damp and mould, rather than fix those problems”.

Landlords will still be able to evict tenants if they have a legal reason, such as if the tenant is in several months’ rent arrears or commits anti-social behaviour.

Awaab’s law extended

Awaab’s Law was named after the toddler who died after exposure to mould in his family’s social rented home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

It proposed that social landlords will have to investigate hazards within 14 days, fix them within a further seven, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours.

Under Labour’s Renters Rights Bill, this will be extended to the private sector to ensure all landlords speedily address hazards and make homes safe.

Plans to make homes safer also include applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time.

The government said 21% of privately rented homes are currently classified as “non-decent” and more than 500,000 contain the most serious hazards.

Landlords who fail to address serious hazards will be fined up to £7,000 by local councils and may face prosecution for non-compliance, the government said.

A new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will also be introduced to “provide quick and binding resolutions” about complaints, alongside a database to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance.

Ban on mid-tenancy rent increases

The bill will also ban rent increases being written into contracts to prevent mid-tenancy hikes, leaving landlords only able to raise rent once a year at the market rate.

However, rent campaigners want the government to go further and introduce rent controls amid a spiralling affordability crisis.

Analysis of government figures by housing charity Shelter found England’s private renters have paid an extra £473 million pounds every month on rent in 2024 – an average of £103 more per month than they were paying in 2023.

Labour has ruled out rent controls, saying their plan to build more homes will bring prices down.

But the government said they will make it easier for people to challenge excessive rent hikes which could force them out.

This will be done by reforming the First Tier Tribunal so it can’t actually demand more than what the landlord initially asked for when tenants complain.

The government will also end backdated increases if the watchdog rules in the landlords’ favour, and allow rent increases to be deferred by two months in cases of hardship.

Allowing pets

Labour’s reforms will also give tenants the strengthened right to request a pet, which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

There are currently no specific laws in place when it comes to renting with pets, but landlords can decline if they have a valid reason.

To support landlords, the Renters Rights Bill will give them the right to request insurance to cover potential damage from pets if needed.

Bidding wars crackdown

The reforms also crack down on bidding wars between potential tenants.

Bidding wars for rental properties have become increasingly common amid a chronic shortage of supply, with tenants typically paying an extra £100 a month above the asking price for their home last year, according to research by the New Economics Foundation.

Labour’s bill will include a legal requirement for landlords and letting agents to publish the required rent for a property.

Landlords and agents will be banned from “asking for, encouraging, or accepting any bids” above the publicly stated price.

Similar laws have been passed in other countries facing a housing crisis, such as New Zealand.

Tenancy reform

The bill will remove fixed-term assured tenancies, which mean renters are obliged to pay rent regardless of whether a property is up-to-standard and prevent them from easily moving out in response to changing circumstances, such as a relationship breakdown or new job.

Instead, all tenancies will be periodic, with tenants able to stay in their home until they decide to end the tenancy by giving 2 months’ notice.

When a landlord’s circumstance changes, such as their need to sell up or move into the property, they will have to give four months’ notice instead of two.

All renters will get a 12-month protected period at the beginning of a tenancy, during which landlords cannot evict them on these grounds.

Ban on benefit discrimination

The bill will also outlaw landlords imposing a blanket ban on tenants receiving benefits or with children.

According to Shelter, one in five families have been unable to rent somewhere in England because they have kids.

Meanwhile, the English Private Landlord Survey, covering the period of 2021 to 2022, found one in 10 private renters – around 109,000 households – had been refused a tenancy because they received benefits.

While specific cases of this have been found to have breached the Equality Act in court, the new law will explicitly ban these forms of discrimination “to ensure fair access to housing for all”.

UK

Queen pulls out of attending Duchess of Kent’s funeral due to illness, Buckingham Palace says

Published

27 mins ago

September 16, 2025

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Queen pulls out of attending Duchess of Kent's funeral due to illness, Buckingham Palace says

The Queen has withdrawn from attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent while she recovers from illness.

Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday that Queen Camilla is recovering from acute sinusitis.

Camilla, 78, was due to join the King and other members of the Royal Family at the funeral at Westminster Cathedral this afternoon.

The withdrawal raises questions over her attendance for US President Donald Trump‘s state visit, which begins at Windsor on Wednesday.

The visit is being hosted by King Charles.

But the Queen is hopeful she will recover in time to attend all royal elements of Mr Trump’s trip, which includes a lavish state banquet.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.”

The Duke of Kent has been informed and is said to fully understand the decision, wishing her a speedy recovery.

The Queen had travelled down from Scotland this morning and is currently travelling to Windsor, where she will rest.

“Her thoughts and prayers will be with The Duke of Kent and all the family.”

The requiem mass, which is a Catholic funeral, is the first to be held for a member of the monarchy in modern British history.

Royals in attendance included Prince William, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, were also seen approaching Westminster Cathedral for the service.

Former Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart and actresses Rula Lenska and Dame Maureen Lipman were also among the mourners.

Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, who became the oldest living member of the Royal Family when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, died at the age of 92 on 4 September.

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Heavy security at Windsor for Trump’s state visit feels ‘American’

Published

3 hours ago

September 16, 2025

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Heavy security at Windsor for Trump's state visit feels 'American'

There has been no expense spared for the UK’s biggest security operation since the King’s coronation.

This time the occasion is both royal and presidential. It is vast and honestly feels, well, American.

The operation has been led by Thames Valley Police, but officers from across the UK will also play a part in the visit.

Windsor is a sea of fluorescent yellow jackets and black and white flat caps. Officers are swarming the town and over the next couple of days will be sending drones into crowds, conducting boat patrols and deploying mounted units in and around the wider area.

Authorities have planned for every eventuality but would not expand on whether the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk had led them to heighten security measures.

The assassination of the US activist may have intensified consideration about potential threats, but authorities have had extensive security plans in the works for months.

Operational firearms commander Sergeant Dan Hatfield explained that the police presence will be heightened – and every plan has been worked on in conjunction with the Secret Service.

“The residents of Windsor and visitors to Windsor are used to seeing a fairly high police presence, including armed police,” Sgt Hatfield said.

“However, for this state visit, they will see an increase in those numbers. Fortunately, I’ve had experience working with the Americans with all the Secret Service. We have a really good working relationship and work fairly harmoniously together to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

Whether in the air, on the ground or on the water, safety is paramount.

On a visit with the Thames Valley marine unit, Sky News witnessed what their 24-hour patrol of the waterways would look like.

A section of the River Thames that borders the Castle will be closed off during the visit.

Sergeant Lyn Smith, head of the joint operations marine unit between the Thames Valley and Hampshire forces, said this is the biggest event she has worked on.

“The team is highly trained, we are ready for anything that will happen on or around the water,” she said.

“The marine support unit are going to be doing high visibility patrols, some searching, some specialist searching in and around the area, and working with our partners in the Environment Agency to deliver a safe event.

“Similar to President Macron’s state visit, we are still providing capability on the water, it’s just on a larger scale for us.”

Notably, for the first time in any state visit or royal occasion, the section of the Long Walk leading up to the castle has been cordoned off with large white barricades erected to shield the residence from view.

Airspace over the town is also restricted for the duration of the visit, enforced using police drones and helicopters.

Vehicles will be standing by close to patrol officers on the ground, holding their ballistic helmets, ballistic vests and shields if an incident occurs.

Thousands of protesters plan to descend on Windsor and central London during the visit to demonstrate against the president’s trip.

A rally in central London on Wednesday is expected to draw the largest crowd, but protesters from the Stop Trump Coalition have now confirmed plans for a Tuesday event too.

A royal welcome may not be extended by all – but many will be hoping they won’t drown out the pomp for the president.

UK

Google makes £5bn pledge to Britain – but concerns raised over mooted UK-US tech deal

Published

6 hours ago

September 16, 2025

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Google makes £5bn pledge to Britain - but concerns raised over mooted UK-US tech deal

Google is set to invest £5bn in the UK in the next two years, to support growing demands for AI services.

The announcement, which comes as Google opens a new data centre in Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, is expected to contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs, the US tech giant said.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves described it as a “vote of confidence” in the UK economy.

The news comes hours before Donald Trump lands in the UK for a state visit at which he and Sir Keir Starmer are widely expected to sign a new UK-US tech deal.

It also follows reports that ChatGPT parent firm OpenAI, and Nvidia, will also unveil billions of dollars’ worth of investment into UK data centres this week.

The chancellor said the investment would boost research and development, capital expenditure and engineering.

However, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has criticised the proposed deal as a “Silicon Valley stitch-up”, and has demanded that the government put it to a vote in parliament.

He said: “I am really concerned the government is going to agree to a Silicon Valley stitch-up that hands tax cuts to tech billionaires while undermining protections for our children online.”

Sir Ed added: “Parents want protections for children online to be kept in place, not traded away in a backroom deal with tech barons.

“We can’t let the government sign up to a deal that benefits Elon Musk at the expense of the British people.”

Google has confirmed it will invest £5bn into capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering over the next two years, which will include “pioneering” AI research in science and healthcare through its DeepMind operation.

The Silicon Valley firm said the investment will help the UK grow its AI economy and contribute to technological breakthroughs, improvements in cybersecurity and job creation.

Google predicted the investment will help to create 8,250 jobs annually at UK businesses.

DeepMind co-founder and chief executive Demis Hassabis said: “We founded DeepMind in London because we knew the UK had the potential and talent to be a global hub for pioneering AI.

“The UK has a rich history of being at the forefront of technology – from Lovelace to Babbage to Turing – so it’s fitting that we’re continuing that legacy by investing in the next wave of innovation and scientific discovery in the UK.”