The landmark Renters' Rights Act could transform the lives of London's 2.7 million private tenants, but only if local authorities have the resources and determination to enforce it properly, housing experts have warned the London Assembly.
Major Reforms Coming into Force
From May 1st, sweeping changes contained within the Renters' Rights Act will take effect across England, impacting approximately 11 million renters nationwide. The legislation represents what campaigners describe as the most significant improvement to tenant protections in over a generation.
The new laws will abolish Section 21 'no fault' evictions, eliminate fixed-term tenancies in favour of periodic contracts, and restrict landlords to implementing just one rent increase per year. Additionally, the government plans to extend Awaab's Law to private rentals in coming years, compelling landlords to address unsafe housing conditions promptly, while introducing a Decent Homes Standard to ensure properties remain safe, warm, and properly maintained.
London's Particular Challenges
London renters stand to benefit substantially from these enhanced protections, given that seven of the ten local authorities with the highest rates of private landlord claims are located within the capital. The legislation also prohibits 'bidding wars' between prospective tenants - a practice currently affecting one in four London renters competing for properties.
Niamh Evans, Policy Officer at the Renters' Reform Coalition, told the London Assembly Housing Committee that the reforms would empower tenants by reducing the fear of retaliatory evictions when requesting repairs or asserting their rights. "It will empower renters through lessening the fear that they may be evicted after asking for a repair, that they might be evicted as retaliation, for example," she explained.
Enforcement Concerns Dominate Discussion
Despite widespread support for the principles behind the legislation, serious concerns emerged during the Assembly hearing regarding implementation and enforcement capabilities across London's boroughs.
"The act will only be as effective as how it is enforced, and that is our primary concern," Ms Evans continued, highlighting alarming statistics about current enforcement practices. "In the three-year period to 2024, over a third of councils didn't prosecute a single landlord. In the last three years, only one landlord in London was prosecuted for an illegal eviction."
Paul Williams, a national organiser at the ACORN tenants' union, described current enforcement as "slacking" and pointed to significant disparities between boroughs. "There's a huge discrepancy within London - some local authorities do not use enforcement powers at all," he observed, calling for a coordinated strategy from City Hall alongside increased funding for local authorities.
Resource and Training Shortfalls
Representatives from Tower Hamlets, Ealing, and Kensington & Chelsea councils all raised concerns about funding and staffing shortages that could hamper effective implementation of the new laws.
Alva Gotby from the London Renters Union warned that without proper enforcement, vulnerable residents including students, disabled people, and those without English as a first language could be pushed into unregulated parts of the private rented sector. "We need to make sure local authority officers have the correct training to implement the law," she emphasised.
Experts suggested that expanding selective licensing schemes could provide councils with both stable funding sources and broader inspection powers across the entire private rented sector, rather than just Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Landlord Perspective and Systemic Challenges
Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, acknowledged the "seismic" nature of the changes while noting that approximately 60% of landlords have some awareness of the upcoming reforms. "Landlords have got to get a grip to make sure these reforms are a success," he stated, adding that the reforms should ideally provide security for tenants and certainty for landlords.
However, Mr Beadle highlighted the pressing need for greater investment in the court system, which he described as "on its knees" and likely to face a deluge of cases related to evictions and landlord-tenant disputes once the new laws take effect.
Call for Mayoral Leadership
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, faced calls to take a leading role in ensuring both tenants and landlords understand the changes and that boroughs implement them consistently.
"The Mayor plays a vital role in creating the accountability for boroughs to implement and spread awareness of the RRA," Ms Evans asserted, while Mr Beadle urged City Hall to commit to producing annual reports analysing whether the reforms are proving successful in the capital.
As London prepares for these transformative changes to the private rental market, the consensus among housing experts remains clear: without adequate resources, training, and determined enforcement by local authorities, the Renters' Rights Act risks becoming another well-intentioned policy that fails to deliver meaningful protection for those who need it most.
