Call to boost awareness of renters' new rights

Low awareness in London of new renters' rights legislation could undermine major new reforms set to come into force in May, ministers have been warned.

Just 35% of the almost three million renters in London have heard of the Renters' Rights Act (RRA), which received Royal Assent in October.

The London Assembly Housing Committee has now warned that the majority of renters may not know about their new rights and powers.

Section 21, the rule that has long allowed landlords in England to evict tenants without giving a reason, will be abolished on 1 May under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, ending so-called no-fault evictions.

From this date, landlords must give a lawful reason to end a tenancy.

The reforms also ban rental bidding wars, end fixed‑term tenancies in favour of rolling ones, give tenants the right to reasonably request a pet, and extend Awaab's Law to force private landlords to fix damp and mould within strict time limits.

During a session in City Hall, Dr Jennifer Harris of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) group, said that reforms in Scotland implemented almost a decade ago had been "severely undermined by lack of awareness".

In a letter to the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, sent on 19 March, committee chair Zoe Garbett noted that even when renters do understand the law, 40% are not confident enough to take action against their landlord, according to recent polling from Generation Rent.

She called on the mayor to commit to raising awareness of the act through his own digital platforms.

During the committee's call for evidence, the TDS Charitable Foundation highlighted that 90% of London tenants expressed a desire for more information about how the act affects them, which is higher than the national average of 82%.

The letter also outlined demands to make sure such information is timed with the government's own awareness campaign, set to launch in April, and that it is "accessible, multilingual and designed to engage London's diverse renter population".

Garbett added: "Our investigation found awareness of the new law is worryingly low. Without clear information and support, many renters simply won't benefit from the protections the act is meant to deliver.

"The mayor has the reach to ensure Londoners understand these new rights before the law comes into force."

A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The mayor is dedicated to making sure renters know their rights, and will be communicating widely to make sure that they do so.

"The mayor has consistently called for the devolution of rent controls – which would enable us to develop a system that works for London and the unique challenges facing the capital, including affordability and supply – as we work to build a better, fairer London for everyone."

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