Labour Brings in excellent Renter's Rights - long overdue.

Part of the problem, the housing stock's the same, but it doesn't meet the demands of an increasing population.

I think it depends on perspective. Houses are not being lost to the system, the total housing stock is still the same. If more people can afford to buy their own house because more affordable, previously rented homes are for sale, that is good for them. The issue is that there is a lag for renters, as there is in Wales, where similar legislation was introduced earlier. More council and social housing is now being developed here, but it takes time and in the meantime there is a shortage of rented property.

Five LLs I know have now sold (one with 2 houses and the others 1 each) in my town. So that's 6 good family homes not available to families who, for whatever reason are not buying a house.
ALL of the LLs told me they were 'wary' of the new reforms.
Their investment, their choice but it's so very sad.

Downside, rental properties have been sold and so there are less on the market.

Wyllow3

Hmmm.

Just look, for a moment, how GB news has presented this good news.

www.gbnews.com/money/landlord-tenants-renters-rights-act

" ‘I’m forced to sell my property as the reforms are highly damaging': Landlord warns tenants will pay the price".

Surprised? No.

I'm very much in favour of the new rights but have a strong feeling that those who are middle-income landlords will miss out while the very rich landlords will still thrive.

I do wish the government would strengthen the tax system so the rich pay as great a share on the money they make while the are sleeping as the middle and lower income do on the money they make from working.

Hmm. I bet she doesn't tell low income renters.

In my locality a Reform candidate is standing for the council because she is a private landlord and wants to change things back again.

It seems Labour really are getting to some people and that can only be a good thing...

eazybee

Letting a rental property is a business, not a charity,

The level of mis-understanding on here is frightening.

they will just have to out on their big pants and suck it up.
(no more) high rents to pay someone else's mortgage or give them what is effectively free money.
How will it lead to a shortage of properties? The properties will still exist even if they are sold. They are not going to be demolished

As usual, not thought through.

There is a misquote in your italics. I said (on Page 1) that my children (early 30s) have managed to buy houses, but only recently, because of high rents to pay someone else's mortgage or give them what is effectively free money. I don't know where the 'no more' came from. Did you add it?

Anyway, in response to my actual words, I stand by them. It is very difficult for young people paying high rents to save for a deposit at today's house prices, and rents do go to pay mortgages for some LLs, and to top up the bank accounts of those who have paid for the homes they rent out. When mortgage rates rise, LLs often say they have to cover their costs by putting up the rent, so the tenants are paying for the LL's assets as well as for the right to live in their homes.

What was 'not thought through' in the words I wrote? With the added '(no more)' they don't make sense, but they are (I assume) your words, not mine. You may disagree that it's hard to pay high rents and save for a deposit, but it would be more persuasive if you said why you disagree instead of altering what I said and calling it 'frightening' and 'not thought through'.

People may not have realised that many councils own housing associations. A surprising number of "council" rental properties are coming on to the market, but they're no longer branded as council homes. Some housing associations are also offering shared ownership schemes, which are a realistic option for people to get on the housing ladder. Housing associations usually own whole blocs but they also buy individual flats and houses and are in competition with the private market. A glut of property suitable for rental would benefit housing associations and potential tenants.

Ilovecheese

How will it leadto a shortage of properties? The properties will still exist even if they are sold. They are not going tobe demolished

I think it will lead to an even grater shortage of rental properties. Of course the properties will still exist but the point is that not everyone can afford a deposit and a mortgage, especially when they are starting out. For instance, I had to rent for six years before I was able to save up enough for a deposit and get on the property ladder and I was by no means unusual.

An increasing number of people may never manage to move out of a rental property. The huge reduction in council properties available has also had an impact.

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | First-time buyers at record low share.google/pzDjPkRsyMLTubKAn

Graphite

One of the reasons so many people are having to rent is that greedy landlords snap up any small new builds that come on the market. It happens here with depressing regularity. Soon after a new development is completed a proliferation of “To Let” boards appear.

This has been going on for 18 years since 2008, people who took advantage of record low interest rates to jump on the buy to let bandwagon.

I rather hope that a glut of properties do hit the market, deflating prices which can only help first time buyers.

There is a correlation between when landlords started to sell as they didn’t like the idea of the new act that was coming and and a rise in the number of first time buyers.

Policies appear to be working. A record 33% of all homes sold across Britain in 2025 went to first-time buyers, according to research from Hamptons.

Aneisha Beveridge, the head of research at Hamptons, said: “In percentage terms, the proportion of first-time buyers has pretty much doubled from about 12% to 15% of all homes a decade ago to 33% today. So I think having a little bit less competition from investors has helped some first-time buyers.

www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/05/buy-to-let-landlords-autumn-budget-tax-regulations-interest-rates

Oddly, given Hampton's claim Scotland's first time buyers were at a record low on 2025. It simply doesn't work to lump Scotland 's housing experience and statistics with England's, the countries do not share the same systems or experiences. It gives a very false picture and l wonder why Hampton's have used the skew

One of the reasons so many people are having to rent is that greedy landlords snap up any small new builds that come on the market. It happens here with depressing regularity. Soon after a new development is completed a proliferation of “To Let” boards appear.

This has been going on for 18 years since 2008, people who took advantage of record low interest rates to jump on the buy to let bandwagon.

I rather hope that a glut of properties do hit the market, deflating prices which can only help first time buyers.

There is a correlation between when landlords started to sell as they didn’t like the idea of the new act that was coming and and a rise in the number of first time buyers.

Policies appear to be working. A record 33% of all homes sold across Britain in 2025 went to first-time buyers, according to research from Hamptons.

Aneisha Beveridge, the head of research at Hamptons, said: “In percentage terms, the proportion of first-time buyers has pretty much doubled from about 12% to 15% of all homes a decade ago to 33% today. So I think having a little bit less competition from investors has helped some first-time buyers.

www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/05/buy-to-let-landlords-autumn-budget-tax-regulations-interest-rates

Wyllow3 OP. "The Renters’ Rights Act, effective from May 1, 2026, brings significant changes to private renting in England (with similar changes following in Scotland...."

I don't know where you got this misinformation from but England's Renters' Rights Act is based on Scotland's Private Tenancy Act 2016.

It's been tried, tested and further developed in Scotland for the last ten years. It currently goes further than the RR Act.

eazybee

Letting a rental property is a business, not a charity,

The level of mis-understanding on here is frightening.

they will just have to out on their big pants and suck it up.
(no more) high rents to pay someone else's mortgage or give them what is effectively free money.
How will it lead to a shortage of properties? The properties will still exist even if they are sold. They are not going to be demolished

As usual, not thought through.

Well my sis who is a landlord and most definitely has thought it all through would totally disagree with that. She is politically and socially aware enough to realise what the issues are, and in her many many years as a doctor has encountered those made ill mentally and psychologically because of housing worries.

Very thought through actually: you simply disagree, which is very different. It's just a put down to say' not thought through".

Whitewavemark2

Well all the landlords whilst having their mortgage paid for them by renting the property will now be in for a nice little nest egg from an asset that has increased in value most years.

The extra property for sale may well help to reduce property prices and so help first time buyers.

Win win all around I think.

The downside will possibly be less property to rent. So it is now up to Labour to ensure councils have the ability to build more social housing.

A lot of people like myself did not have mortgages. We bought our property outright. We will pay capital gains tax on it when and if we decide to sell.

Can’t see how it will help first time buyers. Property prices won’t come down.

Ilovecheese

How will it leadto a shortage of properties? The properties will still exist even if they are sold. They are not going tobe demolished

I should have said “shortage of properties TO RENT.” If I decide to sell our rental property that will be one less property up for rent. When I advertised this property I had massive interest and answered at least 25 prospective tenants.

My friend had even more interest in her bungalow. There is a real shortage of rental properties.

My young friends (couple - they can only afford one room) in their early 30's live in HMO, but old style:

(as I did it through the 70's where you share cooking et al, ie joint renting, or sometimes one or two people own the house and others - obvs chosen so they will fit in together - rent at relatively low cost.

Its a real challenge "getting on together" but also rewarding (shared values, helping each other out in illness etc).

It depends how councils set them up, ie surely a series of bedsits if people don't know each other in big old houses).

Locally what has happened is that there were a very large number of student large older shared houses in houses that don't have gardens or big ones to care for: but quite a lot of student accommodation has been built, and those houses are the suitable ones.

Afford I meant to say ILC.

Ilovecheese

How will it leadto a shortage of properties? The properties will still exist even if they are sold. They are not going tobe demolished

Does she mean for people that can only to rent. We have massive shortage around our way of rental properties, or LL that are way too greedy.
Our council, ‘
apparently’ are buying up a lot of properties to turn into HMOs

Now that the government is closing hotels that were housing migrants landlords are making hay while the sun shines.
Win win situation with a guaranteed income.

I don’t agree. They do know what the impact will be, because it has been running elsewhere in the UK for some time, it is a conscious choice. That’s why Rachel Reeves was talking about rent capping too.

I dont know if it is true of all areas in England, but the area I know about, the number of people wanting to rent, far exceeds rental properties available.

Rent prices increased £300 per month or more, so far, in that area, in recent times.

eazybee

Letting a rental property is a business, not a charity,

The level of mis-understanding on here is frightening.

they will just have to out on their big pants and suck it up.
(no more) high rents to pay someone else's mortgage or give them what is effectively free money.
How will it lead to a shortage of properties? The properties will still exist even if they are sold. They are not going to be demolished

As usual, not thought through.

I agree.

Doodledog

DollyRocker

35% of landlords have sold up. Big corporations are buying up rental properties. What could possibly go wrong ....?

Why do you think they sold?

And would big corporations be buying the houses if they felt that adhering to the new legislation would affect their profits? Surely that fact alone shows that all that will happen is that sharp practice will be curtailed.

Big corporations are thinking long term. 20 years and more.