Policy would be “a gift to unscrupulous landlords”
Generation Rent has slammed Reform UK’s latest policy to scrap the Renters’ Rights Act if they form the government at the next General Election.
The Act, which received Royal Assent in October 2025, is the largest set of changes affecting private rented homes since 1988. The central change will be to require landlords to provide a valid reason to evict tenants from 1 May 2026.
At present Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act means landlords don’t need a reason so renters can find themselves losing their home because the landlord wants to re-let the property at a higher rent, or avoid carrying out repairs. While landlords will still be able to evict to sell, or move into, the property, it will become easier for renters to ask for repairs and plan their lives without the threat of an arbitrary eviction.
The Act will also establish a new database of rental properties and an ombudsman for private landlords to make it easier to hold landlords to account and raise standards, and set clearer rules for raising the rent within tenancies.
The Reform UK business spokesperson Richard Tice will set out the party’s policy to ditch the new law at a speech this morning.
Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, said:
“Forcing people back into insecure and unsafe homes is not a promise, it’s a threat levelled at England’s 11 million private renters. Our homes are the foundations of our lives, so it is disgraceful to see Reform UK pledging to roll back new and essential protections that would improve the quality of our homes and help us to stay in them for longer.
“Reform UK had nothing to say at the debates about the Renters’ Rights Bill when it was passing through Parliament. They also haven’t spoken to renter groups like us about their plans, which would be a gift to unscrupulous landlords who are responsible for the poor conditions renters face right now. Renters have fought for decades for laws that give people greater security in their jobs and homes. The public widely supports the new laws to protect us, so we urge Reform UK to show renters more respect and think again about what they are offering voters.”
Background Information
The Independent has reported that Richard Tice will give a speech today in which he will set out plans for a Government super-department covering business, trade and housing.
According to the Independent, Tice will say, “Let’s have a Great Repeal Bill that ditches daft regulations: scrap net zero, scrap Zev mandates, scrap new employment rights rules, scrap new property rental rules – all well intentioned but kill jobs, hinder growth, investment and prosperity…This will all help lower inflation and bring down bills for consumers.”
It is unclear how allowing landlords to evict tenants simply in order to raise the rent or avoid making repairs will create more jobs or lower inflation.
Opinium polling in October 2023 found 72% of adults in England supported banning Section 21 evictions.
According to the English Housing Survey 2024-25, there are 4,711,000 private renter households in England (19% of all households), with an average of 2.3 individuals in each, totalling 10.8m people living in private rented homes.
One in every four (24.5%) constituents in Gorton & Denton are private renters, higher than the national average (19%).
The Renters’ Rights Act is set to come into force in phases, with the majority of changes happening in the first phase on 1st May 2026.
