The Renters Reform Bill Is Dead (Section 21 Lives To Fight Another Day)

I know this isn’t a “NEWS FLASH” kind of place – the likes of LandlordToday and LandlordZone manage all that mundane guff well enough – but honestly, I just can’t help myself on this glorious occasion.

The sun is shining (it’s actually not, it’s 11pm right now – and I should be in bed), the birds are singing (they’re probably not, given the time), and the Renters Reform Bill’s head is on a pike!

Yup, the Tories pledge – the very one they kept insisting was imminent – to introduce the Renters Reform Bill (which included the controversial abolishment of the “no fault” Section 21 eviction notice) is officially dead as a dodo. It’s yesterday’s news, today’s fish and chip paper. The fat lady has sung. Elvis has left the building. That’s a wrap!

The pledge promptly keeled over like a sack of spuds after Rishi Sunak spontaneously combusted and called a snap general election. In short, they had until last Friday (24th May 2024), to push the turd over the line if they wanted to fulfil their pledge. They chose not to. But interestingly, they did have the will to squeeze through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, meaning skipping on the bill was likely a conscious decision.

HAHAHA.

I don’t know about you, but I’m on the verge of mentally torturing my neighbours for eternity by running down the street butt-naked. There’s nothing quite like an absolute balls-up to get the blood pumping!

Glorious news! I feel like a million bucks right now (but not for the reason you may be thinking)!

Yes, like most landlords, I thought the idea of flushing 21 Section down the bog was a farce, so the turn of events is most welcome.

Now we can all sleep better at night, knowing that we can legally continue, at least for now, doing what the vast majority of us never did in the first place – dish out Section 21 notices willy-nilly, for no reason whatsoever, despite being told otherwise.

Phewwww, that was a close call!

Personally, I was never concerned by the bill from a landlord or business perspective, because unlike many, I didn’t think for one second it was a death sentence for private landlords. Rather, I simply thought the whole idea was a nonsensical piece of junk, because I couldn’t find any convincing evidence suggesting the bill would achieve the promised outcome (i.e. heightened tenant security). If anything, I thought it would have the opposite effect, for reasons already explained.

I was actually more concerned by the precedent the bill sets – one that gives our government more control over our personal assets/property than I’m comfortable with. Where does that kind of control end?

However, that’s not why I’m doing cartwheels and contemplating a midnight streaking session. I’m celebrating because I feel like I’ve just been spared, perhaps temporarily, from being strapped to a mediaeval torturing device.

Do you even realise how much content on my blog I would have needed to update if this garbage passed?

You don’t even know what I was on the cusp of enduring! You don’t even know!

Christ alive, I feel like a million bucks right now. I think this is what it feels like after having a crippling haemorrhoid surgically removed. The sense of relief, oh boy!

Don’t expect any official announcements from these clowns!

There hasn’t been any official announcement by the Tory party to confirm the termination of the Renters Reform Bill, and I’ve been told not to expect one either, because that would require someone very brave and pathetic to emerge from the rubble, and explain that all the assertions promising the end of Section 21 before a general election were in fact a bunch of porkies.

Instead, it seems like they’ve opted for the discrete approach, by discarding the bill like it’s a rolled-up booger ball, flicking it under the dining table while no ones looking.

Surely it deserved a more respectful burial than that.

What we do know for sure is that Parliament was prorogued last Friday, and the Renters Reform Bill was not rushed through during the “wash up” (the period where all final business must be concluded before the end of a parliamentary session). So it’s definitely not happening.

So now what? Will Section 21 eventually be abolished?

Now I’m going to throw on the smallest and tightest pair of speedos I can possibly find and enjoy the sun while it’s shining, and let the world know about my close encounter with manual labour.

Do I think we’ve been forever spared from the abolishment of section 21? Hell naaah.

I’m under no illusion. This ghastly notion can, and most likely will, rear its ugly head again in some form again in the future. I have a feeling this thing is going to be as resilient as chronic genital herpes.

Nonetheless, even if this is a temporary delay of the evitable, I’m going to enjoy the moment and consider this a victory. If it does pop up again, we now know it can be defeated, whether it be by brute force campaigning or a comically incompetent banana-slip.

The next phase of the private rental sector (including the fate of Section 21 notices) will be dictated by the party in power after the general election in July.

If the Tories remain in power, some numpty could quite easily pick up the baton and continue the pursuit of violating our rights. If Labour comes into power, many landlords anticipate an even bleaker fate, with the introduction of more severe violations, entailing an even bigger numpty swiftly closing the curtains on no-fault evictions.

However, the likely reality is, whoever does secure power will have to start from scratch, and considering the time it’s already taken, any significant reform of the private rental sector is unlikely to materialise anytime soon.

Whatever the case may be, you can be assured that I will remain confident in the fact that party pledges, especially in the lead-up to an election, mean absolutely diddly-squat.

If you’ve been following me for any reasonable amount of time, you’ll know I’ve frequently recommended against pinning your hopes and fears on political pledges, and to especially refrain from making rash decisions off the back of them. Sure, consider the possibility, but don’t bet the house on it (quite literally in our case)! That’s because we’re relying on entities with an incredible track record of not delivering. That’s essentially why I have given the bill very little airtime. I prefer not to talk in hypotheticals.

While the industry was bracing for impact and clogging the airwaves with progress updates and how to survive the post no-fault evictions era, I only bothered to produce one very sceptical post on the Renters Reform Bill, back in February. Even then I had this niggling feeling I was over-cooking it. I knew should have just blogged about my tenant’s moulting hairy back – an actual problem causing real world health and safety concerns.

As I said at the time, before I do something batshit crazy like believe the word of a politician, I’d need to see Hell frozen over…

Do I dare to gloat and be reprehensibly nauseating? I certainly do!

I CALLED IT!! I KNEW IT!! Man, my complete lack of faith in our politicians really paid off big time.

But it wasn’t difficult, to be fair.

I’ve seen this story play out too many times: a politician makes a crowd pleasing pledge and assures everyone something amazing is about to happen.

It doesn’t happen.

In the same vein, that’s why I haven’t said much about the lingering pledge to introduce Minimum EPC C-ratings for private landlords, while many other landlords and landlord publications have been behaving and sobbing like it’s a done deal.

I’ll believe it when it happens.

The saddest bloody thing about this whole ordeal!

Many landlords and tenants made life-changing adjustments because our government kept assuring us the bill was happening.

Whether you agree or disagree with the bill itself, what a tragic case of emotional abuse, not to mention a colossal waste of time.

Be that as it may, I’m sure many landlords will feel like they live to fight another day. I’m with you.

Landlord out xo