Legal Update – The Renters’ Rights Bill

We are now close to the Renters Rights Bill receiving Royal Assent (where the Bill will become law) likely to be announced next week.

The Bill has navigated its way through the ‘ping pong’ phase in the House of Lords and will be back in the House of Commons next week for the final time where it is expected to be passed.  As set out in my previous updates the new Act will remove the right for landlords to use s.21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and will end fixed term tenancies with all tenancies becoming monthly periodic tenancies.

The majority of these provisions will not take effect immediately and we are awaiting to hear when this new tenancy system will be implemented which is likely to be around summer 2026 to allow landlords and professionals time to prepare and be ready for the changes.  Keep an eye out for further updates.

In the meantime, for those still wanting to serve a section 21 notice there was a recent County Court Appeal judgment in Cassell v Sidhu which concerned pre-tenancy gas safety certificates and those that do not have a full set of gas safety certificates and how this affects the validity of a section 21 notice.

In summary it highlighted the importance for the Landlord’s name and address to be correctly identified on the GSC, for new tenants to be provided with copy of GSC of the last record before they occupy the property and for landlords to retain GSC until there has been two further checks.

For more information and advice on this and how this may affect you please contact our Property Litigation Team at [email protected]