Ignore the 'market mayhem', a lifeline for renters is being activated
As Westminster fixates on rising cost of government debt and political fallout surrounding Chancellor Rachel Reeves, renters across the country are finally moving closer to a fairer housing system
This evening, Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill will reach the crucial milestone of the third reading in the Commons, before heading to the House of Lords.
The bill represents a transformative shift in the private rented sector—a system that houses the second largest proportion of people after home ownership but has too often functioned as a trap.
Since Margaret Thatcher’s 1988 Housing Act deregulated the sector, tenants have faced skyrocketing rents and a power imbalance skewed in favour of landlords. For too many, this has meant living in substandard conditions, unable to demand basic improvements for fear of retaliatory eviction, and never feeling able to put down roots or get on with their lives due to the constant threat of losing their home.
Today’s legislation marks the end of Section 21 - i.e “no-fault” evictions—an outdated rule allowing landlords to evict tenants with just two months’ notice, regardless of circumstance.
It also introduces a cap on upfront rent payments, limiting them to one month’s rent, and gives tenants new powers to challenge unreasonable rent hikes.
This long-awaited reform, delayed repeatedly by the former Conservative government, will be a welcome relief to millions. For years, tenants have endured unaffordable rent increases, often driven by landlords passing on higher mortgage costs or simply exploiting a heated market. Across the country, renters have struggled to keep up, often forced to choose between meeting basic needs and keeping a roof over their heads.
For many, the private rental market has made homeownership an unattainable dream, trapping them in a cycle of paying off someone else’s mortgage instead of saving for their own. This system has drained disposable incomes, with an ever-increasing share of monthly pay-cheques consumed by rising rents.
The statistics are stark: the number of households in private rented accommodation has risen massively over the years, partly due to the decline in social housing and the increase in buy-to-let investors and landlords.
Today, 4.7 million households – 19 per cent of all UK households – live in the private rental sector, including some of the most financially insecure groups—young people, the vulnerable, and those with limited disposable income.
For them, abolishing 21 no-fault evictions will be transformative. Renters will finally receive stability to build a home and gain the confidence to demand better conditions, while unscrupulous landlords will be pressured to improve the quality of their properties. This is precisely the kind of bold, progressive action a Labour government should take—standing up for working people against profit-driven exploitation.
Yet, this landmark policy risks being drowned out by Westminster gossip and right-wing media distractions. As financial markets experience one of their periodic panics, the government faces relentless criticism, with speculation swirling around the Chancellor just seven months into her role.
The media’s obsession with personal drama and political intrigue continues to overshadow Labour’s genuine accomplishments, like the Renters’ Rights Bill, which delivers meaningful change to millions of lives.
While the rising gilt yields do offer important lessons for the Chancellor, today’s news should not be dominated by market jitters or opportunistic attacks. For renters across the country, Labour is providing a long-overdue sense of security and fairness.
These are the stories that matter—not to the millionaires who own the headlines, but to the millions at the mercy of a housing system stacked against them.
At The Lead we believe in a better housing system for all. We’re digging deep into the causes and issues in the housing crisis and telling the story from all sides - but with an eye on achieving change. See more in our Brick-by-Brick campaign.