Common Law Tenancy Agreement (Non-Housing Act Tenancy)

The long-delayed Bill included over 200 amendments as it returned to the House of Commons for its Report Stage and Third Reading on 24 April 2024. Having been voted through by MPs it will now move to the Upper House, with Housing Secretary Michael Gove MP controversially stating that it’s up to the House of Lords to decide how quickly the Bill can become law.

The Leader of the House of Commons has confirmed the remaining stages of the Renters (Reform) Bill will take place on Wednesday 24 April 2024 with some key changes to the Bill brought forward. Whilst the UK Government has listened and reacted to some industry concerns, another chance has been wasted to effectively regulate property agents.

We have had direct correspondence from senior officials at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) regarding amends to be tabled on the Renters (Reform) Bill, including communication between Housing Minister Jacob Young, MP, and Conservative MPs outlining further improvements that address some of the key concerns of letting agents and strike a fairer balance of security for both landlords and tenants.

During a meeting with Housing Minister, Jacob Young MP, who has responsibility for the Renters (Reform) Bill, our CEO and Head of Policy and Campaigns outlined why the retaining of fixed-term tenancies will provide security for tenants and increase flexibility in the private rented sector.