Renters’ Rights Bill ‘a win for renters and young people’

The government’s Renters Rights Bill has been hailed as a “great win for younger generations and renters”.

According to the Intergenerational Foundation, a third of all private renters are aged between 25 and 34.

However, the charity believes factors such as rising rent are placing young people under huge financial pressure.

In addition, it said renters are more likely to experience poor housing conditions, have worse mental health and face housing insecurity.

As a result, it believes “significant change” is needed to help and protect renters, and allow young people to access “safe, secure and affordable tenancies that previous generations largely enjoyed”.

What will the bill do?

The Renters’ Rights Bill hopes to tackle these issues through measures including:

• ending no-fault evictions
• making sure rented homes are up to a minimum standard
• end estate agent bidding wars
• limit 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

The Intergenerational Foundation believes the proposed law will place renters and young people on a “balanced footing”, and praised the government’s housing policy for “trending in the direction of intergenerational fairness”.

“Renters have less money to save towards the deposit needed to purchase their first home at a time when house prices outpace earnings,” the organisation said.

“Not only does owning a home seem impossible for the young, but for many, even renting is becoming out of reach.”

The abolition of no-fault evictions was singled out as a particularly big change, as it would “rebalance the power in favour of tenants”.

A step forward, but still room for improvement

Although the bill was hailed as “unequivocally progress for young people and renters”, the Intergenerational Foundation said it is still “not perfect”.

For example, it said there are concerns that it won’t protect against “the loophole of landlords being able to increase rents to unaffordable levels as an effective form of eviction”.

But although no direct caps on rent are being put in place, there are measures to “curtail the excesses of the rental market”.

For example, the bill will ban rental biddings wars so landlords and agents can’t accept offers higher than the asking price.

“This will help protect against the situation many renters currently face where they are expected to blindly bid higher than the asking price just to have a chance of securing the tenancy,” the charity said.

“These changes are welcome and will protect against the most egregious aspects of the rental market. 

However, it added that the “only truly viable way” to bring down rent prices will be to build more houses in targeted areas.

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 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.

If you can no longer afford your debts, find out how we can help.