The Renters Rights Bill has now completed its committee stage within the House of Commons. This stage involves a number of selected MPs scrutinising the Bill. These MPs have gone through the proposed Bill, line by line to propose amendments to particular aspects. 

Following the committee stage, an updated text of the Bill has been published. There are some notable amendments, some of which are detailed below. 

Firstly, the new Ground 6A, which allows for possession when it is required in consequence of regulatory enforcement, will additionally apply to where a landlord requires possession in order to comply with specified provisions of planning law. Also, where a landlord obtains possession based on this ground, the court will have the power to order compensation for the tenant. (This amendment reflects changes to clause 4 and Schedule One of the Bill). 

Secondly, a 28-day grace period is now to be applied where a demoted tenancy (Housing Act 1996) becomes an assured tenancy in relation to the duty on landlords to give prescribed information to a tenant under an assured tenancy. (This amendment was made to clause 12 of the Bill).

Thirdly, the powers of the redress scheme have been expanded to specify the information which a landlord must provide with an application for membership. (This amendment was made to clause 62 of the Bill which requires a landlord to join the redress scheme.)

Finally, the power of the Secretary of State to set a ‘Decent Homes Standard’ for HMOs has been extended. The Secretary of State can now also exercise its power in respect of properties occupied by a single household. (This amendment was made to clause 98 of the Bill.) 

These are but a few of the amendments made at committee stage. 

Review the updated text of the Renters’ Rights Bill here. 

What does the next stage hold? 

The Bill has now reached the report stage. 

At this stage, the Bill returns to the whole House of Commons to enable them to consider what changes have been made during the committee stage. The report stage provides an opportunity for MPs who were not members of the committee to suggest further amendments.

The Bill will then move onto the third reading, which is the final stage in the House of Commons. At this third reading, MPs can view the Bill as amended after the two previous stages but the opportunity to suggest further amendments has passed.

The Bill will then be passed to the House of Lords for scrutiny. 

It is now a matter of seeing if any further amendments are raised within the report stage.