Landlords and senior Tory MPs look set to join forces in a bid to thwart the Renters’ Rights Bill, reports suggest.
The Guardian reports that landlords have gained senior Tory support as they consider launching a legal challenge against the government’s planned changes to the private rented sector.
Baroness Jane Scott, the shadow housing minister, has reportedly held a private meeting with some of the country’s most prominent landlords and estate agents to discuss possible ways in which they might delay or prevent the bill’s passing.
Among the proposals was a challenge in the courts under human rights law. A similar case mounted by Scottish landlords last year unsuccessfully argued rent caps breached landlords’ right to property.
Three people present at the meeting told The Guardian they had also discussed delaying the bill with repeated rounds of amendments in the House of Lords.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, introduced to Parliament last September, is expected to become law later this year.
Former housing minister Michael Gove attempted to pass similar legislation last year, but new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has shifted her party’s stance away from backing the government’s plans to introduce more stringent rules for landlords.
The shadow housing minister’s roundtable reportedly included representatives from Get Living, Dexters and the National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA), among others, The Guardian reported. The latter group has denied involvement in any discussions regarding legal challenges to the bill.
In 2023, the Scottish Association of Landlords mounted a failed legal challenge against the Scottish government’s attempts to bring in a temporary rent cap, citing the right to property as enshrined in the European convention on human rights.
A Conservative party spokesman told the press: “The Conservatives have been warning that this bill is deeply flawed, as it will lead to a reduced supply of rental homes. This will increase the cost of renting, affecting people across the country and in particular young people who are more likely to be living in the private rented sector.
“As is standard practice with all legislation, the official opposition engages privately with a range of stakeholders to hear their views.”
Not all of the groups in attendance were comfortable with the ideas discussed, The Guardian said, with some industry figures having accepted that the bill will become law.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, told the press: “The NRLA has long accepted that Section 21 is going and is not campaigning to retain it. Our focus remains solely on ensuring the Renters’ Rights Bill is workable in practice without undermining its core objectives.”
