The Renters Right Bill is Back for Committee Session!!!

For some time, the Renters' Rights Bill was at a dead stop. But now, the wheels are back in motion.

In late March, the Government confirmed three committee sessions, where Peers will examine the Bill line by line and also consider amendments. Below, you can discover:

• How the delay between the second reading and the committee stage has impacted implementation timelines

• More about the implications of Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement on housing and the private rented sector

• The top 3 priorities you should focus on during the void period

First up, though, it's time to check in with the rental market...

Rental market performance in March 2025:

Here’s what changed in the English rental market last month:

• The average monthly price for a rental property rose 0.3%, from £1,209 in February to £1,213 in March

• March's average rent of £1,213 is up by 4.6% compared to 2024 figures (£1,160)

• Average void duration lengthened from 20 to 21 days

House of Lords committee stage dates announced for Renters' Rights Bill:

The Government announced dates for committee sessions, which will be April 22, April 24, and April 28. According to the Government website, it will last for up to eight days "but can go on for longer." This means more dates could be announced depending on how quickly Peers work through the Bill.

The committee stage typically happens around two weeks after the second reading, but in this case, it will be more than two-and-a-half months after. As a result, the Bill is now expected to receive Royal Assent and become law before Parliament's summer recess in July.

It won't come into effect for at least two months after that, meaning it’s likely to become a working reality sometime between October and December 2025.

Rest assured, the Melanie Estates team is here to help you with any questions or concerns you have about the Bill.

Industry experts puzzled by Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement predictions

On March 26, the Government pledged to do its bit to ease the housing crisis. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that Labour's reforms are expected to take house building to a 40-year high and that she aims to deliver over 1.3 million homes in the UK over the next five years. She also announced an additional £2 billion for social and affordable homes next year, which will deliver up to 18,000 new homes. However, many aren't sold on these promises.

Here at Melanie Estate we are committed and leading the cause to ensure that no Norwich landlord is left behind as the renters right bills draws closer. We have been holding webinar to educate landlords on how the bill will impact them, we are also adapting our property management service to address the key challenges posed by the bill.

These include Rent Guarantee cover and Pet Insurance for landlord, Free Compliance check list of your Tenancy, writing to the MP to exempt student rental from the legislation, Proving our tenants with products for preventative measures at the start of the tenancy like Mould and Mildew remover and dehumidifier.

Our letter of complain to the council focuses on scraping the provisions in the Renters' Rights Bill that will suffocate market dynamics, such as bans on ‘over-bidding’ and abolishing fixed term student tenancies. Both reforms are anti-market and will actually make things harder for tenants, not easier."

To find out how Melanie Estates can help you prepare for the renters right bill, book a 30 minutes free consultation with our property manager; Abbie Mathews using the details below: