The Renters (Reform) Bill risks being rushed through its final stages in parliament without receiving the amendments it requires to provide fairness and transparency for landlords and agents.

That’s the view of Neil Cobbold, managing director of PayProp UK.

Cobbold has expressed concern that the government’s flagship legislation for the private rented sector “remains in limbo”.

He said: “This time last year, it had been expected that the Renters (Reform) Bill would be on the statute books by January 2024, but the government waited until May before introducing the Bill, hesitated further before October’s second reading before coughing and spluttering its way through the committee stage at the beginning of December.”

Cobbold is concerned that the Bill will “sit quietly in the corner and await its third reading at some point in 2024, before progressing to the House of Lords for similar treatment”.

The PayProp MD is worried that multiple amendments by MPs and peers “could be dropped, adopted or superseded when new ones are introduced”.

He said: “Already, since the Bill was introduced, more than 140 pages of amendments have been published. MPs will have an opportunity in 2024 to suggest amendments to the Bill when it returns to the Commons for its third reading, so if you want to see changes, now is the best opportunity to voice your opinion.

“But perhaps the bigger challenge facing the industry is what happens if it doesn’t receive royal assent soon, as whoever wins the next election will want to revisit rental reform before too long.”

Cobbold points out that Labour has already signalled its PRS intentions should the party win the next general election.

“If the government can’t pass the Renters (Reform) Bill before the spring, we already have an idea of what the Labour version will look like,” he said. 

“Deputy leader and shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing, communities & local government, Angela Rayner, has promised that Section 21 will be abolished on the first day of a Labour government.

“Either way, PRS reform looks to be top of the political agenda for 2024,” Cobbold added.