September: Renters’ Rights Bill and what it means for renters

For years, the Tories promised to improve rights for renters in Hornsey and Friern Barnet, but instead they left them out in the cold. In Opposition, I often asked Ministers and the Prime Minister when they were going to scrap Section 21 evictions – a manifesto promise from the Theresa May days!

In May 2024, the Tories failed to pass their long-awaited legislation on renters’ reform. For five years, they were promising change but delivered nothing. They caved in to vested interests and once again, renters paid the price.

In our manifesto, we promised to Get Britain building again. This included restoring mandatory housing targets, reforming the rigid planning system and overhauling the private rented sector. In other words, we promised to legislate where the Conservatives had failed.

I’m proud to say that, this month, we presented our Renters’ Rights Bill. This is the biggest set of reforms of the sector in three decades. So what will it mean for renters in Hornsey and Friern Barnet:

We will immediately abolish Section 21 no fault-evictions
Renters will have the right to request a pet
Renters will be empowered to challenge unfair rent increases
We will ban the outrageous practise of ‘bidding wars’ by landlords and letting agents
It will be illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants in receipt of benefits or with children when choosing to rent out their property
We will drive up standards in the rental sector by introducing a “decent homes standards” to ensure all tenants can expect safe, well-maintained and secure living conditions
The Bill will apply Awaab’s Law, which will set a legal timeframe within which landlords must make homes containing serious hazards safe

Sadly, too many renters are stuck in disgraceful conditions, powerless to act because of the threat of a retaliatory eviction hanging over them. But with this new Labour Government, there is no dither or delay. Last week in Parliament, we presented our plans to overhaul renting and rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord. I know that renting and housing has been a really huge issue for my constituents but I’m really proud that my Government has listened to tenants and has begun legislating to give them the protections they deserve.