This briefing provides an overview of amendments made to the Renters' Rights Bill 2024-25 in the House of Lords.

This briefing provides an overview of amendments made to the Renters' Rights Bill 2024-25 in the House of Lords.

Lords report stage third day. Amendment 87 agreed to on division (237 to 223). Amendment 88 agreed to. Amendment 98 disagreed to on division (215 to 240). Amendment 106 agreed to on division (282 to 158). Amendment 110 disagreed to on division (98 to 148). Amendment 111 agreed to on division (214 to 153). Amendments 112 and 113 agreed to. Amendment 118 disagreed to on division (106 to 148). Amendments 123 to 125 agreed to. Bill, as amended, ordered to be printed (HL Bill 128).

Lords report stage third day. Amendment 87 agreed to on division (237 to 223). Amendment 88 agreed to. Amendment 98 disagreed to on division (215 to 240). Amendment 106 agreed to on division (282 to 158). Amendment 110 disagreed to on division (98 to 148). Amendment 111 agreed to on...

Moved by

Lord Keen of Elie

87: Clause 41, page 58, line 4, leave out “on the balance of probabilities” and insert “beyond reasonable doubt”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, in conjunction with another amendment in the name of Lord Keen of Elie to clause 58, imposes a uniform standard of proof – beyond...

Moved by

Lord Keen of Elie

87: Clause 41, page 58, line 4, leave out “on the balance of probabilities” and insert “beyond reasonable doubt”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, in conjunction with another amendment in the name of Lord Keen of Elie to clause 58, imposes a uniform standard of proof – beyond...

My Lords, I begin by referring to my interests as recorded in the register. I add that I am the proprietor of properties in London that are the subject of tenancy agreements and are managed by an agent.

In this group we have Amendments 87 and 88 in similar terms. Amendment...

My Lords, I begin by referring to my interests as recorded in the register. I add that I am the proprietor of properties in London that are the subject of tenancy agreements and are managed by an agent.

In this group we have Amendments 87 and 88 in similar terms. Amendment...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 104 in my name in this group and, in doing so, I declare my interest as a trustee of the Nationwide Foundation. First, I thank my noble friend Lady Taylor of Stevenage for the excellent meeting we had, together with the noble Lord,...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 104 in my name in this group and, in doing so, I declare my interest as a trustee of the Nationwide Foundation. First, I thank my noble friend Lady Taylor of Stevenage for the excellent meeting we had, together with the noble Lord,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy. I have also enjoyed my encounters with the Minister, with her, to discuss these issues. I rise to speak to Amendment 110 in my name. I am very grateful for the support of the noble Lords,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy. I have also enjoyed my encounters with the Minister, with her, to discuss these issues. I rise to speak to Amendment 110 in my name. I am very grateful for the support of the noble Lords,...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 87, 88 and 103, which I have signed. I add my thanks to the Minister, who has engaged with me on these amendments, among others in the Bill. She has always been courteous and has had good points of view.

These amendments were originally...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 87, 88 and 103, which I have signed. I add my thanks to the Minister, who has engaged with me on these amendments, among others in the Bill. She has always been courteous and has had good points of view.

These amendments were originally...

My Lords, I support the amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, to which I added my name. Sadly, he is right: the police do not have sufficient knowledge about the law changes, which are now quite old. I suspect the reason is that the complaints tend to be infrequent,...

My Lords, I support the amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, to which I added my name. Sadly, he is right: the police do not have sufficient knowledge about the law changes, which are now quite old. I suspect the reason is that the complaints tend to be infrequent,...

My Lords, I will briefly support Amendment 110 in the names of the noble Lords, Lord Cromwell and Lord Hogan-Howe. I am grateful to Safer Renting, ACORN and the Renters’ Reform Coalition for bringing this matter to our attention. My noble friends have noted that this is a milder and...

My Lords, I will briefly support Amendment 110 in the names of the noble Lords, Lord Cromwell and Lord Hogan-Howe. I am grateful to Safer Renting, ACORN and the Renters’ Reform Coalition for bringing this matter to our attention. My noble friends have noted that this is a milder and...

My Lords, Amendments 87, 88 and 104, as we have heard, seek to raise the burden of proof to that of the criminal standard, “beyond

reasonable doubt”, from the civil standard, “on the balance of probabilities”, consistently across the Bill. All the amendments in the next group, on financial penalties,...

My Lords, Amendments 87, 88 and 104, as we have heard, seek to raise the burden of proof to that of the criminal standard, “beyond

reasonable doubt”, from the civil standard, “on the balance of probabilities”, consistently across the Bill. All the amendments in the next group, on financial penalties,...

My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, and my noble friend Lady Kennedy of Cradley for their amendments. I thank the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, for his comments. We all miss the late Lord Etherton very much and I...

My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, and my noble friend Lady Kennedy of Cradley for their amendments. I thank the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, for his comments. We all miss the late Lord Etherton very much and I...

I am obliged to noble Lords for their contributions to this debate. I make a number of observations. First, I sympathise with the observations made by the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, about the conduct of those she identifies as criminal landlords. But before someone should be stigmatised and identified as...

I am obliged to noble Lords for their contributions to this debate. I make a number of observations. First, I sympathise with the observations made by the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, about the conduct of those she identifies as criminal landlords. But before someone should be stigmatised and identified as...

Given that we are not talking about criminal offences—we are talking about civil offences—and given the power imbalance between a landlord and a tenant, will the noble and learned Lord at least accept that by lowering the burden of proof we would allow the tenant to feel that they might...

Given that we are not talking about criminal offences—we are talking about civil offences—and given the power imbalance between a landlord and a tenant, will the noble and learned Lord at least accept that by lowering the burden of proof we would allow the tenant to feel that they might...

I do not accept the proposition advanced by the noble Baroness at all. In circumstances where you are going to stigmatise somebody’s conduct as criminal, as the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, pointed out, it is appropriate that there should be a relevant standard of proof. You are not taking away...

I do not accept the proposition advanced by the noble Baroness at all. In circumstances where you are going to stigmatise somebody’s conduct as criminal, as the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, pointed out, it is appropriate that there should be a relevant standard of proof. You are not taking away...

Moved by

Lord Keen of Elie

88: Clause 58, page 90, line 33, leave out “on the balance of probabilities” and insert “beyond reasonable doubt”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, in conjunction with another amendment in the name of Lord Keen of Elie name to clause 41, imposes a uniform standard of proof –...

Moved by

Lord Keen of Elie

88: Clause 58, page 90, line 33, leave out “on the balance of probabilities” and insert “beyond reasonable doubt”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, in conjunction with another amendment in the name of Lord Keen of Elie name to clause 41, imposes a uniform standard of proof –...

Moved by

Lord Keen of Elie

89: Clause 59, page 92, line 18, leave out “£40,000” and insert “£7,000”

Member’s explanatory statement

This limits the local housing authority’s power to impose a financial penalty to £7,000.

Moved by

Lord Keen of Elie

89: Clause 59, page 92, line 18, leave out “£40,000” and insert “£7,000”

Member’s explanatory statement

This limits the local housing authority’s power to impose a financial penalty to £7,000.

My Lords, Amendment 89 is to Clause 59 and addresses the question of the penalty proposed in that provision, which is £40,000. Under the amendment, that would revert to the same level of penalty for other provisions in the Bill of £7,000, on the basis that £40,000 is simply excessive.

If...

My Lords, Amendment 89 is to Clause 59 and addresses the question of the penalty proposed in that provision, which is £40,000. Under the amendment, that would revert to the same level of penalty for other provisions in the Bill of £7,000, on the basis that £40,000 is simply excessive.

If...

My Lords, this group of amendments on the financial penalties raises the very important point of how local authorities are informed of the landlord’s breaches and hence are in a position to impose financial penalties. Without that, there can be no imposition of financial penalties. This issue was raised in...

My Lords, this group of amendments on the financial penalties raises the very important point of how local authorities are informed of the landlord’s breaches and hence are in a position to impose financial penalties. Without that, there can be no imposition of financial penalties. This issue was raised in...

My Lords, fines must be proportionate, yet, as the Bill stands, the threshold for imposing fines on landlords is worryingly low, and the scale of those fines is notably high. This combination is troubling. Setting fines at such significant levels, in some cases representing a substantial portion of a landlord’s...

My Lords, fines must be proportionate, yet, as the Bill stands, the threshold for imposing fines on landlords is worryingly low, and the scale of those fines is notably high. This combination is troubling. Setting fines at such significant levels, in some cases representing a substantial portion of a landlord’s...