Renter’s Reform Bill: How to prepare for May 2023

As you will already be aware, the Renter’s Reform Bill (announced in June 2022) outlines Government’s plans to build a fairer private rental sector from 2023 onwards.

The Renter’s Reform Bill has been one of the most highly discussed topics within the UK private rental sector over the last year, as landlords attempt to understand, and prepare for, the potential upcoming changes.

The policies proposed to be instigated by the Renter’s Reform Bill (RRB) are almost here and are due to be implemented in May 2023 - So here’s a recap of everything you need to know to prepare for the upcoming changes.

No more Section 21 eviction notices

One of the biggest policy shifts caused by the RRB is the end of section 21 eviction notices.

Currently, with a Section 21 eviction notice, it is possible for you to evict tenants from your properties without needing to provide suitable reasoning. In an attempt to provide tenants with more security and protect against unfair evictions, the government is scrapping Section 21 evictions.

Evictions with Section 8 notices

However, this will not prevent you from evicting tenants from your property where there is an acceptable suitable reason to do so - This is where Section 8 eviction notices come in.

After May 2023, Section 8 notices can still be used to evict tenants as long as there is an accepted reason to do so, such as:

• Your tenant has rent arrears.
• Your tenant damages the property.
• Your tenant is disturbing neighbours with antisocial behaviour.

However, compared to Section 21 notices, grounds for eviction will be more limited, and the process will be more time-consuming. After the implementation of the Renter’s Reform Bill in May, landlords will need to give tenants six months' notice before they can issue a Section 8 notice for rent arrears.

Preparing for the changes in May

There are many other changes expected to come in with the Renter’s Reform Bill which you can read about in detail on the Government released White Paper. It is your responsibility to review the policies and ensure that you are complying with the new rules as of May 2023.