Do you know what’s in the renters’ rights bill?

The renters’ rights bill is one of the government’s key pieces of legislation, designed to offer new and stronger protections to tenants.

But knowledge of the proposed law appears to be mixed among those who matter most - the people who live in rented accommodation.

According to research by Pegasus Insight, about one in three tenants are either fully or mostly aware of the measures in the renters’ rights bill.

Meanwhile, one in five were found to be somewhat aware of what it includes.

But significantly, figures showed that more than four in 10 weren’t aware at all or only slightly aware of what the bill says.

Mark Long, founder and director of Pegasus Insight, responded by stating that “more needs to be done to educate renters about the new legislation”.

“A significant proportion of tenants know little to nothing about the imminent changes to their rights,” he said.

What will the bill do?

The Renters’ Rights Bill hopes to offer greater security and protections to tenants through measures including:

• ending no-fault evictions
• making sure rented homes are up to a minimum standard
• ending estate agent bidding wars
• limiting the ability of landlords to raise rent
• preventing landlords from refusing tenants because they have children or claim benefits
• creating a new database of landlords and rental properties to boost compliance and visibility

But opinion on the likely impact of the bill is divided.

Just 13% of tenants said they thought it would have a significant positive impact, while 31% expect it to have only a slight positive impact.

But 19% also predicted that it would have no effect on them and 31% were unsure.

1 in 4 tenants believe bill will drive up rents

One common criticism of the bill among landlords is that it will make owning a rental property more complex and expensive.

And this has, in turn, led to many tenants believing that landlords will pass on some of these costs to them.

More than one in four tenants said they expect their rents to go up once the bill has become law.

Mr Long added that these people “look likely to have their fears borne out”, as a recent poll of landlords showed that nearly two-thirds will look to recoup potential losses by putting up rents.

Are you struggling with rent and bills?

If you’re finding it hard to keep up with soaring rents and other living costs, then help is available.

Get in touch with your local council to see if you can get help from the household support fund.

You could also use our free calculator to check that you’re claiming all the benefits you’re entitled to, and our budget planner to see where you could be saving money.