Ministers Met Landlords Twice As Often As Tenants’ Groups Over Renters’ Reform Bill

Ministers met with lobbyists for landlords and estate agents twice as often as they did groups representing renters as they worked to refine new protections for tenants in the landmark Renters Reform Bill, according to analysis by PoliticsHome.

At the heart of the government’s initial proposal to reform the private rental sector was a pledge to abolish the practice of ‘no fault ’evictions – the ability for landlords to evict tenants without cause often in retaliation for them making complaints.

But following backlash from some Tory MPs and landlords, who argued that this would make it impossible to evict difficult tenants, provisions for Section 21 of the bill relating to no fault evictions was watered down when the Bill passed its second reading in parliament in October 2023. 

According to analysis of public records of ministerial meetings, in the two years leading up to September 2023 ministers at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), including the secretary of state Michael Gove, met industry bodies representing landlords 23 times, an average of almost once a month. They met with the many dozen groups representing private renters on 11 occasions.

Of the 23 meetings held with landlord industry bodies, the highest number (16) were with the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA). The NRLA has staunchly opposed several measures in the Renters’ Reform Bill, also including new energy efficiency standards and rent controls, warning that regulation of the private rented sector would lead to an exodus of landlords and reduce the number of available homes.

When Government announced plans to delay the ban on ‘no fault’ evictions last year, the NRLA celebrated the move as a “huge win” which