The Renter’s Rights Bill has moved to the report stage in the House of Lords, with landlords concerned that the legislation does not address the capacity of the courts to handle the banning of no-fault evictions.  

The wide-ranging reforms left the committee stage of the Lords yesterday after peers began debating the Bill on 22 April.

Its measures include, limiting rent increases to once a year, moves to end bidding wars, scrapping fixed-term tenancies as well as banning Section 21 no-fault possessions. 

However, the National Residential Landlords Association warned that the Government has “failed to acknowledge the true state of the court system and its lack of readiness to handle possession cases following the end of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions”. 

It called on Labour to set out “a credible plan for court reform as a matter of urgency”.

The landlord’s association points to Ministry of Justice data this week that shows that the average time between a landlord submitting a claim and regaining legitimate possession of a property in the first three months of 2025 rose to 32.5 weeks, from 29.8 weeks a year ago. 

Once no-fault evictions are scrapped courts will have greater powers to hear, decide, process and enforce possession claims. 

The housing department has said that courts will have the resources they need to handle any additional workload. 

But National Residential Landlords Association chief executive Ben Beadle says: “Ministers are either unaware of the true state of the courts or are refusing to admit it.  

“Their claims that the courts will be ‘ready’ for the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill simply do not stack up. 

“Seven months is an eternity for responsible landlords who may be dealing with serious rent arrears and for neighbours having to endure anti-social behaviour. 

“The government must stop burying its head in the sand and commit to a fully funded, detailed and deliverable plan to ensure the courts are fit for purpose.” 

However, in the Lords yesterday, housing minister Baroness Taylor said: “To end the scourge of Section 21 evictions as quickly as possible, we will introduce the new tenancy for the private rented sector in one stage.  

“On that date, the new tenancy system will apply to all private tenancies.  

“Existing tenancies will convert to the new system, and any new tenancies signed on or after that date will be governed by the new rules.  

“There will be no dither or delay, and the abolition of Section 21, fixed-term contracts, and other vital measures in the Bill will happen as quickly as possible.” 

During the General Election last July, Labour pledged to end no-fault evictions “immediately”.