Reform UK has announced plans to repeal the Renters’ Rights Act if elected, prompting immediate criticism from tenant advocacy groups and housing organisations.
The party’s UK business spokesperson Richard Tice outlined the policy during a speech in Birmingham, stating that a future Reform government would introduce a “great repeal act” to remove what he termed “daft” regulations, including recent tenancy reforms.
Impact on rental market
Tice argued that the Renters’ Rights Act had made renting property “too risky” for landlords, claiming that many had decided to exit the market due to concerns about regaining possession of their properties. He suggested the legislation was reducing supply and contributing to rent increases.
Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, responded to the announcement, stating: “Forcing people back into insecure and unsafe homes is not a promise, it’s a threat levelled at England’s 11 million private renters.” He described the proposal as “disgraceful” and said it would be “a gift to unscrupulous landlords”. Twomey criticised Reform for not engaging with renter groups during the legislation’s passage through Parliament.
Sector reactions
Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive of Shelter, said scrapping the reforms would leave families trapped in an unfair system and give landlords “free rein to turf renters out of their homes for no good reason”.
Clara Collingwood, Interim Director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, described removing the protections as a “huge setback for millions of renters”, while Unison General Secretary Andrea Egan called the proposal “a huge mistake”.
The announcement sets up a clear policy divide on rental market regulation ahead of the next general election, with implications for England’s estimated 11 million private renters and the landlords who provide accommodation to them.
