The TDS Charitable Foundation submitted evidence to the Renters’ Rights Public Bill Committee, which called for a stronger focus on improving tenants’ knowledge and understanding of their rights and access to redress. While the Bill's proposed reforms – including the removal of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions and the introduction of a new landlord ombudsman—represent a landmark step forward, the Foundation suggests that these measures will only effectively raise standards in the private rented sector if they are accompanied by better tenant education.
Many tenants unaware of their rights
The TDS Charitable Foundation acknowledges that the removal of Section 21 will increase tenants' sense of security, with their Voice of the Tenant survey showing that 60% of tenants believe it will provide greater stability. However, there is misconception that the end of Section 21 alone will empower tenants to report housing issues, challenge poor practices, or contest unfair rent increases, and thus automatically drive-up standards in the sector. The Foundation warns that legal change alone will not achieve this, as there is a lack of understanding and awareness amongst tenants of their rights and available redress mechanisms.
Indeed, the Voice of the Tenant survey has shown that 50% of private renters do not know where to turn when faced with unresolved housing issues. Existing resources like the Government’s How to Rent guide—a legally mandated document provided at the start of tenancies—have proven ineffective in educating tenants. Only 39% of tenants recall receiving the guide, and its 19-page format often renders it inaccessible.
The Foundation points to concerning findings from Scotland, where five years after the introduction of similar reforms, fewer than 1% of tenants have used their legal powers to challenge unfair rent increases. England risks repeating these mistakes unless they find ways to improve tenant awareness and accessibility.
A complex redress landscape
The Foundation also had some concerns about the proposed introduction of the new landlord ombudsman, as the redress landscape for the private rented sector in England is already very complex. Tenants face a maze of potential routes to address housing issues, including councils, ombudsman schemes, courts, tribunals, and deposit adjudication services, with responsibility often falling on tenants to find the appropriate authority. The new landlord ombudsman risks exacerbating the existing confusion.
Removing barriers and reducing complexity
To address the concerns outlined above, the Foundation emphasised the need for a national public education campaign for tenants, as well as a comprehensive vision for reforming dispute resolution, focusing on minimising complexity and integrating the new ombudsman into the existing framework.
The Foundation also called on the Government to endorse and support the promotion of the My Housing Issue Gateway website, to ensure the Bill achieves its goals of empowering tenants and improving standards in the private rented sector. Various organisations and housing experts had long called for the creation of a single online portal for housing issues, but this had not materialised. The TDS Charitable Foundation has taken the initiative to develop a signposting service and diagnostic tool, the My Housing Issue Gateway, which can help tenants identify the correct dispute resolution mechanism and dispute resolution provider for their problem. The website aims to encourage the early resolution of disputes where possible, and provides relevant information about housing rights and options to tenants in an interactive and user-friendly format. The promotion of this website by the Government as part of an education campaign will help to ensure that the Renters’ Rights Bill meets its objectives in empowering tenants and raising standards in the private rented sector.
