The Renters’ Rights Bill should be seen as a market correction rather than a threat, says Stephen Moss, CEO and founder of Sourced, which provides training for property businesses.
As the legislation awaits Royal Assent, Moss encourages the industry to view the Bill as a step that puts “people over profits,” offering a positive shift for the rental market.
“[The Renters’ Rights Bill] represents the type of reform and professionalisation that the industry should have embraced years ago,” he said.
Moss points to the latest Deposit Protection Service Private Rented Sector Review, which reveals that 91% of landlords who responded said they were concerned about the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill, but urges landlords and those working in the property sector “not to panic”.
He continued: “We have never bought into the idea that the bill is a threat to professional lettings. On the contrary, we believe it will benefit the industry by reducing the number of rogue landlords and allow premium positioning for those quality agents who put people above profits.
“Replacing fixed term assured tenancies with periodic tenancies will help encourage long-term relationships… Good tenants who feel secure in their home stay will longer, pay reliably and are more likely to maintain their accommodation. This kind of market stability is always more profitable than uncertainty.
“We also support the abolition of Section 21, as we believe that for too long this has been used as a crutch by those problem landlords who are happy to allow their properties to deteriorate. Landlords who rely on eviction threats rather than good service to retain tenants will now be forced out of the market.
“In our experience, professional landlords have rarely needed Section 21 because tenants who feel happy and secure in their accommodation are unlikely to deliberately cause problems. Quality standards and thorough vetting of tenants and relationships will now be essential, rather than an option, and that can only be good for the industry.”
Sarah Byrne, Sourced Living brand manager, added: “We have always believed that people should come before profits, and the Renters’ Rights Bill validates our approach. Stability and fairness aren’t just good ethics, they’re good business.
“For too long, the industry has rewarded speed over service. The Renters’ Rights Bill levels the playing field, ensuring that quality agents who invest in relationships and standards are finally recognised.”
Renters’ Rights Bill ‘isn’t about protecting tenants – it’s about protecting council budgets’
My advice to all agents and landlords: before the bill becomes law, serve Section 21 notices on every tenant and see how the authorities handle the situation.
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The authorities have no visibility of S21s- unless they go to court- and who wants to start a court matter for the sake of it. The Conservatives secured RA on the abolition of S21 back in 2019- this should be a shock to no one. And if people think kicking up a stink now is going to change anything, you’re gravely mistaken. If anythinmg, suggestions like this highlight why powers like this are being taken away.
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All local authorities are aware when Section 21 notices are served. In nearly every case, tenants are advised by the authorities to remain in the property until a court orders an eviction date or bailiffs arrive — even though a former Housing Minister, Brandon Lewis, specifically instructed authorities not to give this advice. Despite that, the practice continues.
As has often been said, landlords do not serve Section 21 notices to good tenants without reason. Now that the ability to evict problem tenants has been made more difficult, the ones who will ultimately suffer most are tenants themselves. Every eviction that would previously have been handled through a straightforward Section 21 will now have to be a fault-based eviction, which stays on the tenant’s record. Under the old system, a Section 21 notice allowed tenants to explain their situation more easily when applying for future tenancies.
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We are charities now apparently
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In what way?
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In a way that profits are important to a business…
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OK so S24 was far more damaging to profits than anything proposed in the RRB- mitigated by becoming a company. What exactly wbout the RRB do you think will impact profitability and are you looking at landlords, agents or both?
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Would Stephen Moss be willing to offer his training services at cost price for the greater good? I doubt it — and rightly so. Stephen, like anyone who sets up a business, did so with the aim of making a profit. There’s nothing wrong with that; profitability allows for reinvestment, growth, and sustainability.
It’s comments like these that tend to inflame the situation unnecessarily. Agents and landlords are too often portrayed as villains, when in reality the vast majority are responsible, ethical, and committed to doing the right thing.
Does Stephen Moss genuinely believe that the Renters’ Rights Bill will suddenly transform rogue landlords — those who evade tax, skip essential safety checks, and ignore regulations — into compliant and conscientious operators?
Before passing judgment, I think it’s important for commentators like Stephen to fully understand the industry and the people working hard within it.
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Your comments are spot on. The main issue is that the landlord-bashing charities have finally succeeded in persuading MPs to make these amendments. Now, the very people who profit from the industry are jumping on the bandwagon, making ridiculous statements—like Stephen Moss, whose misunderstanding of the sector may well backfire on him. After today, his credibility as a trainer for property businesses looks laughable.
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The same can be said for tenants though, to be fair. The vast majority want a safe, well-maintained home to live in and get on with life. S24 was far more damaging to profits than anything listed in the RRB- yet many have now pivoted to being Company Landlords, mitigating that impact- and this approach gives greater scope on cost management and mitigation and tax management with paying lower tax on dividends, easier exit by sale/transfer of shares, etc. The Bill will, however, force landlording to move from, what is to some a hobby or side-hustle, and will make it something undertaken with clear intent, with a business strategy and, either learning the complex landscape of law, compliance and regulation or engaging a quality agent.
Throughout RRB process (and I mean when Conservatives first kicked this all off) agents have been too quick to lament the ‘death of the PRS’ and becried the ‘landlord bashing’ – and are then angry and upset when landlords embrace this attitude and mindset. As professionals and experts in our field, it’s our duty to map a way through these changes and to help our clients see that, behind the clickbait headlines, there is genuinely little to fear from the RRB that cant be easily mitigated (for example- the fear of major court backlogs for rent arrears evictions: £250-360 a year can completely mitigate this risk in the form of a rent & legal expenses warranty).
The PRS sector will be just fine, but there will be changes. You can help your clients navigate the stormy waters with calm and rational insights and experience- or throw yourself overboard in panic and hope the sharks arent hungry.
I’d say Stephen is bang on the money really.
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