Labour has vowed to improve conditions for Britain’s renters and promised they will be “better off under Labour”, but faces call from campaigners for more clarity as to its plans.

But the part is facing pressure to deliver more radical reforms of private renting amid fears landlords will find new ways to evict tenants despite the party confirming it would end no-fault evictions, ban bidding wars and introduce time limits to fix potentially lethal mould.

In a campaign push aimed at the “rip-off private rented sector”, Labour is promising an immediate ban on Section 21 evictions, to stop rental bidding wars and to end “massive” up-front payments to give renters greater security if it comes to power.

The party’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, and the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, claimed private renters would be £250-a-year better off under a Labour government after it forces landlords to improve the energy efficiency of leaky rental homes.

Pledges to slash fuel poverty, cut energy bills and take on common housing issues like mould, cold and damp also factor into Labour’s plans.

Rayner said: “Time and time again, the Tories have failed to stand up for renters. From endless delays to no-fault evictions, to failure to sort damp, cold and mouldy homes, the Conservatives are failing working people.

“Labour will call time on a decade of Tory vested interest and put renters first. An affordable, secure private rented sector is vital for economic growth, allowing young people to save for a mortgage with more money in their pockets to spend in the day-to-day economy.

“Our plans will support good landlords but we are calling time on unscrupulous landlords strangling growth.”

The Renters’ Reform Coalition welcomed many of the announced measures as “important first steps”, but said Labour needed to say more on plans to give renters security.

The campaign group comprises 20 leading organisations supporting and representing private renters, from major homelessness and housing charities such as Shelter and Crisis, to campaigners Generation Rent and tenant union groups like ACORN.

Campaign manager Tom Darling said: “We welcome the commitments to ‘immediately abolish’ no fault evictions, to end bidding wars and extortionate upfront rents, and new legal protections to tackle damp and mould – all things we have previously called for. These will be important first steps in tackling the crisis in private renting.

“But if this crisis is to be properly tackled we’ll need to see more detail as to how Labour intends to deliver security of tenure for private renters. In particular, how will they prevent backdoors to no-fault evictions through new eviction grounds, and how they plan to tackle evictions through unaffordable rent hikes.

Rental reform undermined by chronic shortage of homes to rent