Renters' Rights Bill Webinar

Our recent webinar on the Renters' Rights Bill focused on the upcoming changes proposed in the Renters' Rights Bill, provided information on legal responsibilities, compliance timelines, and how to effectively prepare for implementation.

Download the slides below and watch the recording, we have also addressed the questions submitted during the webinar.

Download the slides

Legislative questions

Answers to these questions are provided by Ian Curtis-Nye and Mishka Simpson from Lyons Davidson Solicitors. Answers provided are based on the current draft Bill and were correct at the time of publishing (24th June 2025). Please ensure you check current legislation as this may have changed. The answers provided do not constitute legal advice. Please note, Alan Boswell Group does not provide legal advice. If you are a legal expenses policyholder with Alan Boswell Group, you can seek legal advice via the helpline: 03003035899.

Notices

I have one property which is sub-divided into five separate flats (not HMO), all are on rolling short-hold tenancy agreements. There is one title deed for the property so I would be selling all five flats together. Would I potentially have different notice periods to serve to all tenants based on their commencement date? Could I advertise and market the property for sale concurrently, or do I have to wait until the notice periods have expired in order to commence marketing?

Legislation application

Pets

Answers to these questions were correct as of the 24th June 2025.

Lettings agencies and the database

Periodic tenancies

Guarantors

Lodgers

Rent

Student lets

Insurance questions

Find out more

To find out more about rent guarantee insurance and the pet damage cover extension covered in the webinar, speak to our team.

Speak to us: 01603 216399

Legislative questions

Notices

If someone is in their current 12 month tenancy, will they be allowed to exit with two months' notice if that causes the tenancy to end sooner than the 12 months?

Can you negotiate the rent increase after serving the notice?

Can notice be served within the first 12 months to take effect at the end of month 12, or only at the end of the 12 month period, giving an effective 16 month minimum tenancy?

How can you demonstrate that you want to sell a property and take back possession?

I have been told by my rental agency I had to give a periodic tenant two months' notice immediately. Is this legally required?

I need to sell my property and the tenant has been in the property for eight months. Can I provide notice that it will not be renewed after the initial 12 month agreement? If so, should I give four months notice, or two, as is written in the current agreement?

Will the eviction process be quicker in the event of non-payment of rent?

When existing tenancies are overwritten by the new Act, does 'time served' count against the guaranteed 12 months or is the clock re-set and a minimum 12 (or 16) month tenancy starts from the date the Act becomes law?

Legislation application

I am considering putting my properties into a Trust for my children and grandchildren. How would this legislation apply to Trustees, rather than landlords?

When are we expecting the legislation to come into force?

Will the new legislation apply to the whole of the UK?

If a current fixed AST ends before the Bill is passed will it automatically become periodic even though the Bill hasn’t been signed?

With existing tenants on initial six month ASTs then periodic rolling thereafter, do these now need to be reissued? Will my AST automatically change to periodic?

If I let the property to a company for their employees' use, can I do that for a specified period of time?

Please can you explain a little more about what forms are available on gov.uk and where we find them?

If tenants have been in place for 7 months on a 12-month AST, when the new Act comes into effect, are they then guaranteed a subsequent minimum extension of 12 months from the date of the Act? Or does the 7 months already 'expired' count against the 12 months?

Pets

I am unclear on the rules around pets – could you provide an overview of what the changes mean for me as a landlord?

Does the landlord have the right to not allow pets in the property if their insurance policy excludes any damage/loss caused by the pet?

Is a landlord's allergy to a specific animal a valid reason for refusal to accept a pet?

Can I refuse pets if the landowner lease of the building doesn't allow them?

On what grounds can I refuse a tenant with a pet?

Is the property being a first-floor flat a reasonable reason to refuse a pet?

Will HMO renters be allowed pets in their room? Or in shared living spaces?

Lettings agencies and the database

Does the landlord or letting agency register on the database?

I currently use a letting agency and they complete an annual inspection. However, I also check the property and deal with repairs. Am I, or the letting agency, responsible for providing the tenant with the correct documentation?

Is the new landlord register in addition to the local authority register?

Periodic tenancies

What is a periodic tenancy?

If the landlord and tenants agree on a six month rental period, what happens with the proposed changes?

With the move to periodic contracts, what will the situation be regarding a deep clean of the property? When would a contract end?

Guarantors

With all tenancies now becoming immediate periodic tenancies, do we need guarantor agreements of open-ended duration to cover however long the tenant stays?

Lodgers

Will the law change in relation to lodgers and landlords who rent rooms out in a property they live in?

Rent

For landlords who use the services of a managing agent, who is liable for keeping records of justifications on rent increases?

Will special tenancy conditions in my current tenancy agreement become invalid?

Are emails between a property manager and landlord and tenant sufficient evidence in relation to rent increases?

If the 1st tier tribunal cannot increase the proposed rent when challenged by the tenant, then why wouldn't a tenant challenge the rent as they have nothing to lose? Can the tribunal increase the rent if the market rate was higher?

How will the rules with tenants that do not meet affordability and had been paying rent in advance change?

Student lets

Can the college be a guarantor for overseas student lets?

If tenants want to pay more rent in advance (students like to do this to help them with their budgeting), are they allowed to do this ?

It is common to request tenants, such as overseas students, to pay 12 months' rent upfront as they are unable to provide a guarantor. Will the new Renters' Rights Bill also affect tenants coming from overseas?

What provision has been agreed for the typical student letting cycle?

Please clarify regarding one year ASTs for students in HMOs

If tenants pay rent quarterly (because this coincides with their student loans) what will the period of the tenancy become?

Why are purpose built student halls omitted from this Bill, but houses solely rented to students are not?

Often students offer to pay a year upfront, which is no longer allowed. What are landlords expected to do in this situation, if they don't want to accept an overseas guarantor?

Insurance questions

With everything we are hearing about the Renters’ Rights Bill and court delays, do you anticipate an increase in rent guarantee insurance premiums?

Given the current restrictive wording of rent guarantee insurance policies, do you expect further limitations to be introduced in light of the Bill?

If tenants have paid rent consistently and credit or reference checks were not done due to existing relationship, are they still covered by rent guarantee insurance?

Will ABG offer pet insurance policies or extend the current landlord insurance policy?

Are any insurance providers offering policies that cover pet damage to carpets / walls, skirting boards due to wear and tear?

Do you think that 15 months' rent coverage will be enough considering the pressure on the courts and getting a court date and given the tenants has to be in rent arrears for longer under the new rules?

I understood no-one was currently providing pet damage insurance, has this now changed?

Will extensions for pet damage cover be highlighted in the renewal invite we are sent?

Is the £2500pcm rental cover under rent guarantee insurance per tenant or per property for HMOs?

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