The Renters’ Rights Bill is a moment for celebration – but we can’t afford to stop here

By the time we reach a certain age, many of us imagine a stable lifestyle. Retirement cheques rolling in, sandy beaches, cottage homes. But Jackie, who has a disability and lives alone, is experiencing a major upheaval. Just this month, her landlord issued her a section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notice, giving her two months’ notice to leave her flat.

Like most renters who have faced a section 21, she was shocked. But she’s not alone. July to September this year saw the highest section 21 court claims since 2016. That’s 8,425 households facing an eviction, through no fault of their own.

Thankfully, after a decade of campaigning, the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill will end section 21 evictions for good, giving tenants like Jackie much greater security. The government also plans to double notice periods when being evicted, introduce new protected periods from eviction and establish a landlord database that will improve lives and prevent homelessness, among other things.

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But, while this is undoubtedly a moment of celebration for renters across England and for the groups who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue, there is one area the bill does not address.

Chris is 68 and lives alone. His total income only just about covers his rent. “The rest of the money goes on food,” he says. “I haven’t bought clothes in years.”

Chris’s story is, unfortunately, too familiar. Millions of renters are struggling to keep up with soaring rents. Recent Office for National Statistics figures showed rent inflation is at 8.4%, almost double wage growth.

Although renters like Jackie will no longer be kicked out of their homes for no reason, renters like Chris may lose their homes simply because they cannot afford to live in them. While the Renters’ Rights Bill states renters can take landlords to a tribunal to challenge rent rises, in reality many will not be aware of this, meaning there is little to stop landlords using a sudden rent hike as a de-facto no fault eviction.

This cost-of-renting crisis has caused devastation amongst tenants. Analysis from Generation Rent found that not a single borough is affordable for London’s own bus drivers, care workers, cleaners, teaching assistants or receptionists.

For those outside London, the punishingly high rents don’t get much easier to bear. Just 8.5% of privately rented homes are deemed affordable, with renters like me terrified of our landlords putting up the rent on a whim.

Local housing allowance, which calculates the rate of housing benefit people can claim, has also been frozen by the chancellor until April 2026. This is despite the charity Crisis in 2023 finding that the proportion of properties affordable to people claiming housing benefit was just 4%.

If we are on low incomes, and our rents go up, are we expected to stretch ourselves thinner and thinner, until there’s nothing left?

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook recently said that affordability is not in the scope of the Renters’ Rights Bill. But the Renters’ Reform Coalition is pushing to amend the bill to put a limit on rent rises. There have also been rumours of the government introducing a national rental affordability commission in the future.

What’s clear is it must address the cost-of-renting crisis with the urgency it deserves. We need action now.

Renters like Chris cannot wait for long. One approach would be to devolve rent regulation to metro mayors in areas where landlords are pricing people out of their communities. That would mean mayors would have the power to slam the brakes on unaffordable rent increases faced by tenants. This could help tenants stay in our homes for longer, with less pressure on our wallets.

The Renters’ Rights Bill has shown me that, when a range of organisations and people come together and campaign relentlessly on an issue, change will come. The end of section 21 and the greater security the bill gives tenants is a massive moment that has only strengthened my resolve to keep pushing until renters like Chris and Jackie have safe, secure and affordable homes.

Ben Twomey is chief executive of Generation Rent.

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