The new Labour government on Wednesday unveiled a new version of Rishi Sunak’s plan to end no-fault evictions during the King’s Speech.

Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for the far-reaching Renter’s Rights Bill also include empowering tenants to challenge rent increases and to apply for a pet; setting rules around the timeframes within which landlords must make their homes safer for private tenants, known as the Awaab Act, and applying a ‘decent homes standard’ to the sector.

It comes after the Conservatives’ Renters (Reform) Bill fell after Rishi Sunak called a general election. Sunak’s bill would have banned Section 21 evictions, also known as no-fault evictions, which mean a tenant can be evicted by a landlord without cause.

Tenants are given a minimum of two months’ notice.

Described by homelessness charity Shelter as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to tackle tenants’ problems, the bill had reached its second reading in the House of Lords – the seventh of 11 stages a bill must pass before it can become law – when Sunak called a general election and dissolved Parliament.

It had cross-party support, with Labour indicating it would “love” to pass the legislation in the final days of the previous parliament, but the government said there was no time.

Watch: Sir Keir Starmer discusses Labour’s plan for tenants’ rights (from June)

In its subsequent election manifesto, Labour promised ‘reform’ of the private rented sector.

It promised: “We will immediately abolish ‘no-fault’ evictions under Section 21, prevent private tenants from being exploited and discriminated against, give them the power to challenge unreasonable rent increases, and take steps to decisively raise standards, including extending ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private sector.”

The Awaab Act was a bill that set a strict timeframe for social housing landlords to fix problems after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 from a respiratory illness caused by long-term exposure to mould at his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The bill aims to strengthen the rights and protections of tenants, by introducing new laws to end rent-bidding wars. The government said it will also provide new, clear and comprehensive grounds for possession, so landlords can reclaim their properties when necessary.

The bill includes measures to strengthen local authorities’ enforcement powers, establish a new ombudsman service, create a digital database for the private rented sector and give tenants the right to keep a pet.

What is the context?

Thousands of people are being hit by unprovoked evictions, which are the “leading cause of homelessness in England”, according to Matt Downie, director of homelessness charity Crisis.

An analysis of Ministry of Justice figures by Shelter earlier this year also found that 26,311 households in England have been evicted by bailiffs since 2019 as a result of Article 21, when Theresa May’s government pledged to abolish it.

In 2023 alone, 9,457 households were evicted by bailiffs, an increase of 49% compared to the 6,339 households in 2022.

Meanwhile, a further 30,230 landlords in England launched Article 21 proceedings last year, a 28% increase on 2022.

Lord John Bird, founder of the Big Issue and crossbench peer, said he was pleased to see the Renters Reform Bill back as a priority. He said: “In particular, as a champion of the Renters Reform Coalition, I warmly welcome the revival of the long-struggling Renters Reform Bill.

“It is only right that this government has taken immediate action to improve tenants’ rights, after years of broken promises.”

Housing associations are keeping a close eye on the Starmer government.

Shelter welcomed the announcement, writing on X: “The government should use this as a fresh start to create a strong bill – one that not only ends no-fault Section 21 evictions, but tackles skyrocketing rent increases and extends notice periods to provide real security.”

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Tenants can no longer be ignored, and talking alone won’t cut it this time.”

Tom Darling, campaigner for the Renters’ Reform Coalition, which is made up of 20 housing and tenant organisations, said after the collapse of the Sunak government’s Renters Reform Bill that renters had been “let down so badly” after waiting “five long years for action” on the Tories’ promise of debt-free evictions.

He warned that “the next government must do much better”.

The London Renters Union wrote on X: “The government has announced it will end no-fault evictions, as expected. This ban must be watertight, unlike the Tories’ weakened bill that was withdrawn before the election.

“We must also ensure that the government takes measures to prevent families from being forced to leave their homes due to high rent increases.”

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• “I received a notice on my door saying my rent was going up to £1,100pcm — this time with no option to negotiate. I called the landlord straight away but they refused to answer and would only text me to text them. After claiming rent increases were normal, sending me a bunch of emojis including a thumbs up, smiley faces and the prayer sign, and calling me ‘mate’, they blocked me. The next time I left my house, a dreaded Section 21 notice was placed on my door.” – ‘I never thought it would happen to me… until my landlord left a Section 21 notice’ (Evening standard)

• “If you pay rent on a house, it shouldn’t be your landlord’s business what you do in it. Unfortunately, in practice, there’s little to stop landlords imposing draconian conditions on their tenants, as they can threaten a Section 21 eviction if you don’t comply.” – The worrying trend of landlords banning tenants from working from home (The independent)

• “If Labour completely abolishes Section 21 and they introduce rent caps, then I will put properties on the market. There is no support for landlords, yet there are organisations telling tenants how to avoid paying rent” – ‘I lost £72,000 after tenants stopped paying rent – ​​it will get worse under Labour’ (The Telegraph)