The Renters Rights Bill turns to the House of Lords today for what may be the final committee sitting to scrutinise the proposals.

Propertymark is campaigning for two specific changes to the Bill.

The first is to abandon the Bill’s current proposal to end fixed-term tenancies. 

The trade body says that for students this could have unintended negative consequences. It has already expressed its concerns to the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that periodic tenancies (where there is no fixed end date) could result in graduates staying at a property, which would then affect new students being left with fewer properties to rent or with no place to stay in while embarking on their studies.   

Propertymark is therefore campaigning for fixed-term tenancies to remain an option for student landlords especially.  

Secondly the Bill will also mean that people may be prevented from paying for rent in advance for a duration of more than one month. 

This is an aspect that could seriously impact access to housing for those who are both willing and able to pay ahead of time but might not achieve a traditional monthly rental agreement due to past credit history searches. Therefore Propertymark has also suggested that the government considers the effect any delay in welfare payments could have on rent arrears, and to regard the financial consequences of this legislation on the supply of homes to rent

Nathan Emerson, chief at Propertymark, comments: “The Renters’ Rights Bill will bring about huge changes to the way people rent across the country. Both tenants and landlords need to understand the new rules and how it will impact them. Propertymark member agents are trained and qualified to stay on top of legislation and how it works in practice. 

“Landlords should start to plan now about the long-term use of their property and tenants need to understand that their tenancy and the rules around leaving a rented property are changing. As the legislation starts to come in later this year, tenants and landlords should look for the logo and a certified and accredited Propertymark agent who can give them the protection and peace of mind they need to understand what happens next.”