Renters Rights Bill and the threatened consequence of improving rights

Power has always defended itself with the same warning: change the rules and we’ll walk away.

Whenever reforms are proposed to rebalance the scales — whether it be fairer taxation for large corporations and wealthy individuals, or stronger protections for renters — we are told there will be an exodus. Investors will “leave the market.” Landlords will “pull out.” The country will suffer.

We heard it again when tenant protections were strengthened. We were told that improving renters’ rights would trigger a “mass exodus” from the rental market and a “wave of homelessness.”

But the rising numbers of Section 21 notices show a different reality. Tenants are already facing eviction and urgently seeking advice. Strengthening tenant rights does not cause evictions — it responds to a system that has too often failed to protect people from them. For years, a lack of robust safeguards has allowed some landlords to profit while tenants endured unsafe, unhealthy, and poorly maintained homes. Serious hazards have gone untreated. In the most tragic cases, tenants have died in the very places that should have protected them.

This week we have been contacted by a tenants across south London who have been told to leave their flats. Tenants have told us that they have constantly paid their rent and looked after their homes. We are seeing whole blocks of flats decanted and we have been working with local politicians to get the housing issues addressed.

It is true that some landlords may choose to exit parts of the private rental market rather than comply with higher standards. Our concern is where they may go next. The largely unregulated temporary and asylum accommodation sectors already allow high rents, limited security, and poor conditions with minimal scrutiny. Without consistent standards across all housing types, we risk creating a two-tier system — one regulated, one not — where vulnerable people bear the cost.

Ahead of Awaab’s Law, we urged the government to extend its protections to all forms of accommodation, including temporary and asylum housing. Failing to do so leaves behind those most at risk: families with children, people with serious health conditions, and individuals already forced into homelessness by a housing system many simply cannot afford to access.

Last year it was reported that 80 children living in temporary accommodation died between 1 October 2023 and 30 September 2024. In this context, it is difficult to understand why the protections of Awaab’s Law have not been universally applied. The most vulnerable should not receive the weakest safeguards.

At the same time, influencers are actively promoting temporary and asylum accommodation as a lucrative investment opportunity. As the Renters’ Rights Bill progresses, we will be closely monitoring its impact — not only within the private rental sector, but across the wider housing landscape.

If you would like to be involved in our housing investigation work, please contact us at community@swllc.org with the subject line: “housing investigator”.