The government has published the timeline for the next stages of the Renters’ Rights Bill, which could see it become law by the summer.
Two dates – 22 and 24 April – have been given for the committee stage of the bill at the House of Lords, when it will be examined in detail.
It will then go through to the third reading, giving Lords the chance to finalise any amendments and make sure the bill is workable as law.
The third reading could happen straight after the committee stage.
If Lords disagree with any amendments or make their own changes, it will be sent back to MPs at the House of Commons, delaying its implementation. Once agreed, the bill will be sent to the monarch for royal assent.
While there is no expected timeline for the bill to go back and forth between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the Parliament website said this stage of a bill could be resolved “in a matter of minutes”.
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The last time the Renters’ Rights Bill was in Parliament was when it passed the second reading in February. At the time, Baroness Taylor said the bill “brings forward the most significant changes to the sector for nearly 40 years”.
She added: “The bill will strengthen the security of tenure for tenants; ensure that they are paying a fair rent; guarantee a minimum standard that they can expect from a property; provide new robust avenues to redress; and more.”
The bill proposes caps on how much rent in advance can be requested and requires landlords to pay a fee to set up the private rented sector (PRS) ombudsman.
At the Mortgage Solutions British Specialist Lending Senate this month, it was suggested that the bill could have “unintended consequences” and lead to higher rents.
