Some 43% of tenants know little or nothing about the Renters’ Rights Bill, signalling that many won’t be aware of their improved rights when the legislation goes through.
A third (32%) are ‘fully aware’ or ‘mostly aware’ of the details included in the bill, which promises an end to no-fault evictions, new minimum living standards, and limits on rent increases. However 27% of tenants expect rents to increase due to the bill.
Mark Long, founder and director of Pegasus Insight, said: “More needs to be done to educate renters about the new legislation set to be implemented by this Autumn, as a significant proportion of tenants know little to nothing about the imminent changes to their rights.
“In terms of the impact the Bill is likely to have on the market, the 27% of tenants who believe that rents will increase as a result look likely to have their fears borne out. In fact, responding to our landlord survey Q4 2024, 62% of landlords said they will look to recoup potential losses incurred as a result of the new legislation by putting rents up.
“While the government is holding fast to its claim that the RRB will not force landlords out of the private rented sector, the fact that more than half (56%) of those who have given their tenants notice to quit plan to sell the property, up from 37% a year ago, is surely significant. Again, tenant concerns that the Bill will lead to a reduced supply of properties appear well-founded.”
Two-thirds of tenants intend to stay in the same property once their current tenancy ends.
Of the one-third planning or considering moving, most cite personal reasons such as moving to a new location (32%), moving to a bigger or smaller property (26%) or buying their own home (24%).
One in 10 will move because their landlord has ended the tenancy.
Of that number, in 56% of cases, the landlord has ended the tenancy because they plan to sell the property (up from 37% a year ago), 22% because they want to increase the rent (up from 12%) and 16% because they want to move into the property themselves (no change).
