This week in Parliament there will be the third reading of the Renter’s (Reform) Bill.

The Renter’s (Reform) Bill is a vital piece of legislation, essential to bettering the security and agency of those living in the private rented sector. However, this Bill has been severely watered down by the Tories and is far from what they promised in 2019.  

A third of my constituents in Manchester Gorton live in private rented accommodation, which is the ninth highest proportion across the country. Regardless of whether you are a homeowner, a leaseholder or a tenant, everyone must have the basic right to a decent, safe, secure, and affordable home. 

Labour has always been clear that the Bill was only ever a starting point, and we have sought to strengthen the Bill in a range of areas. In the Bill’s Report Stage, I am supporting a number of amendments which aim to strength the rights and security of tenants. Such amendments include, NC11 that would require private landlords to deal with hazards affecting their properties and 28 which would ensure the abolition of Section 21 evictions. You can read the full set of amendments I have supported here. 

There are a number of Government amendments I am concerned about.  

The delay to ending Section 21 will worsen the current strain on local authorities. More than 80,000 households have been threatened with homelessness by no fault evictions since the Government pledged to end section 21 altogether in 2019. The reckless delay to ending Section 21 evictions will continue the increasing demand for temporary accommodation. It is estimated that local councils are spending around £1.7bn a year on providing temporary accommodation.  

Additionally, it is concerning that the Government amendment, NC15, would prevent tenants giving notice to quit a tenancy within the first six months, meaning even if a tenant left, they would remain liable for six months’ rent in all circumstances. As drafted, this would even apply to victims of domestic abuse, or where serious hazards are present. 

In 2022, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published A Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper, which included provisions for a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector. However, in the Renter’s (Reform) Bill, requiring privately rented homes to meet the Decent Homes Standard has been alarmingly excluded. The Conservative Government claims to remain committed to the excluded measures and has said it will bring forward separate legislation on this, though no details have been released.   

There are over a million households in the private rented sector living with damp, mould and other serious hazards, with one in five private renters reporting housing issues making them physically sick. With the support of the Labour Party, the Government introduced Awaab’s Law in the social housing sector, following the tragic death of a child, Awaab Ishak, from a respiratory condition because of the mould in his social housing. But the problem of debilitating damp and mould, and landlords who fail to investigate such hazards and make necessary repairs, is not confined to social rented homes. We need a legal binding Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector to hold private landlords to account for the condition of their property and empower tenants to feel secure in their rights.  

This Bill does not even begin to scratch the surface of the housing emergency this Conservative government has created. Much more needs to be done to decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants, and a Labour government will seek to truly strengthen protections for private renters, so that they finally get the long-term security and better rights and conditions they deserve.