I have made excellent progress this week with the Government adopting two of my amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill, which defend the rights of people renting their homes.
This is a new law that is going through Parliament over the next few months.
No Rent in Advance
My first amendment stops landlords being able to ask for more than one month ‘Rent in Advance’.
Constituents of mine have been asked to pay £2,500 - six months’ rent - upfront to landlords just to secure a basic room in a four bed shared property.
I have been seeking to ban this excessive and exploitative measure since January 2024.
This week the government confirmed that this will be integrated into the Labour Government’s landmark legislation in the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Improvements to the Student Letting Season
When I have met with students, a clear issue affecting them financially and mentally is the student rental market creating a fake ‘rush’ to secure student housing for the next academic year, when the current has only just begun.
Contracts are signed under undue pressure, some 9 months in advance of the tenancy start dates.
My amendment, now adopted by the government, is that a new rule will be put in place to stop students feeling pressured into signing a tenancy agreement for a new house so early into an academic year.
The amendment provides a disincentive against landlords signing students up for tenancies more than six months in advance.
This gives students the space and time needed to create healthy social relationships and save the money needed for a deposit for the next academic year, drastically improving the mental wellbeing of our students.
I’d like to thank all of you who have raised your concerns about renting with me. With your insights, I have been able to work with the Labour government to make sure we are all protected in our homes. This new law is an opportunity to raise the standards of living in the UK to where it should be. Renters' rights have been a cornerstone of my work for decades, and they remain as crucial today as ever.
Ensuring renters' rights are strengthened is a priority of mine.
That's why I was honoured to have been personally thanked by Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, in his recent letter to colleagues regarding the Renters' Rights Bill amendments.
This amendment aims to stop students feeling pressured into signing a tenancy agreement for a new house so early into an academic year, by providing a disincentive against landlords signing students up for tenancies more than six months in advance. 🏡
You can read the full letter below.
