After months of anticipation and heated debate, the UK government’s Renters’ Rights Bill is now entering its critical final phase, with all eyes on the House of Lords as the bill returns for review on October 14, 2025. The legislation, which has dominated discussions across the property sector, is poised to bring sweeping changes to the private rented sector—though not without controversy and disappointment among both landlords and tenant advocates.
According to reporting from Property Industry Eye, the government has postponed further progress on the bill until after the main party conference season, a move that surprised few but left many in the sector anxious about the looming reforms. The bill is now set to enter the so-called ‘ping pong’ phase, a parliamentary process in which the House of Lords and House of Commons exchange the bill back and forth to resolve outstanding disagreements on amendments. This process is expected to be brisk, with most observers predicting that the government will stand firm and reject any significant further changes.
Royal Assent—the formal approval needed for the bill to become law—could be granted as soon as the end of October if no major delays arise. As Property Industry Eye notes, this would mean landlords and letting agents have only a matter of weeks to prepare for a raft of new rules and obligations that will transform the rental landscape.
One of the clearest signals from the government has been its steadfast rejection of more than 300 amendments proposed by the House of Lords. These included calls to widen exemptions for student housing, allow higher deposits for pet-related damage, and shorten the 12-month restriction on re-letting properties after a failed sale. Allison Thompson, national lettings managing director at LRG, summed up the sector’s frustration: “The government’s rejection of key Lords amendments sends a clear message. They are holding firm on the core structure of the Renters’ Rights Bill but are unwilling to make concessions that would have brought much-needed clarity and balance. Proposals to widen the student exemption, allow a higher deposit for pet-related damage, or shorten the 12-month re-let restriction were all dismissed, despite being proportionate and carefully considered.”
Thompson continued, “These were not attempts to weaken tenant protections. They were pragmatic solutions that reflected the day-to-day realities faced by landlords and agents. Instead, the Bill now moves forward with some unresolved tensions, particularly around the practical enforcement of new tenancy terms, the viability of keeping pets, and the risks of re-letting delays after a failed sale. As always, it will be agents on the ground who are left to navigate these challenges and support landlords through the transition.”
Greg Tsuman, managing director for lettings at Martyn Gerrard Estate Agents, echoed this sentiment, describing the rejected proposals as “rare injections of common sense” and lamenting their removal as evidence of a “fundamental government misreading of the Private Rented Sector.” He added, “As expected, the amendments that were not government-backed have not been passed—over 300 of them. This is unfortunate, as they were some injections of common sense into the Bill, which as it stands reveals the government’s fundamental misunderstanding of the Private Rented Sector. A more consultative approach would have yielded a much better piece of legislation.”
Despite these criticisms, the government has made clear that the Renters’ Rights Bill is still going ahead and will soon become law. According to a briefing from the Lomond lettings and estate agency group, most of the bill’s headline reforms will come into force immediately once enacted. These include the abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, the introduction of new possession grounds, the end of fixed-term tenancies, and new restrictions on rent-in-advance payments. The creation of a national landlord database and the possible requirement for landlords to join an Ombudsman scheme will follow after a transition period, giving the sector time to adjust and for new infrastructure to be put in place.
Several of the most hotly debated amendments were firmly rejected. For example, a proposal to allow landlords to request a separate pet deposit of up to three weeks’ rent—on top of the usual deposit cap—was turned down. The government argued that the existing five-week deposit limit already covers potential damage and that increasing it would make things harder for tenants financially. Similarly, a requirement for tenants to take out pet insurance was dismissed, with ministers noting that the insurance industry is not yet ready to offer suitable products at scale. While pet owners can still choose to purchase insurance, it will not be something landlords can enforce.
Another sticking point was the 12-month re-letting restriction after a failed sale. The House of Lords had suggested reducing this period to six months, but the government insisted on keeping the full year, stating that it is essential to prevent landlords from abusing the grounds of repossession. As reported by Property Industry Eye, the government asserted that “the full year is important to stop landlords from abusing the grounds of repossession.”
Student housing was also a focus of amendment efforts. A proposal to extend the student possession ground to smaller properties—such as one- or two-bedroom flats, not just houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)—was rejected. The government’s rationale was that the current rules already strike a fair balance and help protect students who don’t fit the typical mould, like postgraduates and students with dependents.
For agents and landlords, the message is clear: the bill is well on its way to becoming the Renters’ Rights Act, possibly as soon as this autumn. Lucy Jones, chief operating officer at Lomond, offered a succinct summary ahead of the final debate: “The Bill is still going ahead and will soon become law. It is highly anticipated it may become law ahead of Party Conference season. The Bill is structured so that most reforms will come into force immediately… whilst the landlord database and potentially the Ombudsman requirement will follow later, after a transition period to allow the sector to adjust and infrastructure to be put in place.”
With Royal Assent likely by the end of October, landlords and agents have just weeks to ready themselves for a new era in the private rented sector. Many are bracing for the practical challenges that lie ahead—especially as the industry adapts to the abolition of Section 21, new tenancy structures, and the unresolved issues around pets and student housing. The coming months will reveal whether the government’s uncompromising approach delivers the clarity and protection it promises, or whether, as critics warn, it leaves agents and landlords navigating a landscape full of new risks and uncertainties.
As the Renters’ Rights Bill moves closer to becoming law, the property sector is left weighing the implications of reforms that promise to reshape the relationship between landlords and tenants for years to come.
