WIREDGOV

Ahead of polling day on 4 July, the NRLA has, with other landlord groups issued a joint public statement calling on the next Government to pass the Renters (Reform) Bill as a matter of ‘urgency’.

The statement, which is endorsed by Leaders Romans Group, Grainger, and the BPF, underlines how crucial it is for the newly-elected administration to make reform of the rental market a key priority following the general election.

The publication of this statement follows widespread campaigning by the NRLA in the run-up to the general election, where we have sought to highlight issues which we feel the UK’s major political parties must take into account.

In a joint statement, the National Residential Landlords Association, Grainger PLC, the British Property Federation and Leaders Romans Group, have yesterday said:

“Renters, landlords and letting agents have faced five years of uncertainty over plans to end Section 21 ‘no fault’ repossessions.  With all the main parties’ manifestos committed to delivering rental reform, it’s time to bring the issue to a conclusion. Only this approach will enable the sector to look forward and unlock the investment in new housing that renters desperately need and deserve. 

“The Renters (Reform) Bill to end Section 21 was well on its way through Parliament before the election with broad support, and Labour has said it could have ‘happily’ agreed it in the ‘wash up’ period.   

“The best way for the next government to achieve their objectives would be to resurrect this Bill as a matter of urgency.”

Notes:

• Speaking to Sky News on 20th June 2024, the Shadow Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, said of the Renters (Reform) Bill before the dissolution of Parliament: “We took the Bill through Parliament. We took it right to the end, got to the wash up, we said to the Government we would happily pass this.  It’s not perfect, we wanted to see it strengthened, but renters are so desperately in need of greater rights and protections we will see it through.” You can see this clip here (clip begins at 2 minutes, 49 seconds onwards.
• At second reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill in the House of Lords, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Minister, Baroness Swinburne (Conservative), argued that the Bill provided a “comprehensive, balanced package of measures that will meet the needs of the sector for the 21st century.” She continued: “The Bill will give tenants the protections and security they need to feel truly at home in their communities, and give landlords the confidence that, if they do the right thing, they can be rewarded for providing those very homes.” The source for this quote can be found here. 
• The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is the UK's largest membership organisation for private residential landlords in England and Wales, supporting and representing over 100,000 members. 
• The British Property Federation (BPF) is the membership organisation representing companies involved in property ownership and investment.
• Grainger PLC is a market leader in the UK private rented sector and build to rent housing, providing over 11,000 mid-market rental homes today and investing a further £1.5bn to deliver over 5,000 more build-to-rent homes across the UK.
• Leaders Romans Group is one of the UK’s largest property services groups. It has a network of over 300 branches across the country and employs over 3,310 people.
• For further information contact the NRLA Communications Team at press@nrla.org.uk.