The Renters Reform Bill was introduced to deliver the government’s commitment to bringing a fairer renter’s market for tenants. The aim of the bill was to abolish no fault evictions and to reform the landlord’s grounds for possession.
The Renters Reform Bill was first published in May 2023 however, following the government’s announcement on 23 October 2023, it would appear that the implementation of the bill will be pushed back further than the previous estimate of it coming into force by October 2024.
I am sure that this news will be disappointing for both landlords and tenants as it provides neither party with any certainty regarding when this will be implemented. Landlords who had considered evicting tenants imminently may now be relieved that they can still rely on the Section 21 process for the time being but longer term, they may wish to revisit their plans for their rental and investment properties. Likewise, I expect that tenants will be anxious about the possibility of being evicted from their homes via a no fault eviction.
Whilst reforms to the possession process within the court system is welcomed, the time-frame for this to become a reality is at best open ended and it could take many years to be completed.
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