The Government has announced two dates for committee sessions in April as the Renters' Rights Bill enters its final stages.
For the last six weeks, the Renters' Rights Bill has been at a dead stop. But now, the wheels are back in motion.
Below, you'll find everything you need to know about what the Government announced, what will happen in the committee stage, and what follows it 👇
- When is the committee stage of the Renters' Rights Bill in the House of Lords?
- What will happen in the committee stage?
- What happens after the committee stage?
- Will the Government accept amendments proposed by the Lords?
When is the committee stage of the Renters' Rights Bill in the House of Lords?
On March 20, the Government announced two dates for committee sessions, which will be April 22 and April 24. According to the Government website, it will last for up to eight days "but can go on for longer." This means more dates could be announced depending on how quickly Peers work through the Bill.
The committee stage typically happens around two weeks after the second reading debate, but in this case, it will be more than two-and-a-half months after.
As a result, the Bill is now expected to receive Royal Assent and become law before Parliament's summer recess in July. It won't come into effect for at least two months after that, meaning it’s likely to become a working reality sometime between October and December 2025.
What will happen in the committee stage?
The Government website says: "Committee stage involves detailed line by line examination of the separate parts (clauses and schedules) of a bill. Starting from the front of the bill, members work through to the end."
It continues:
"Before committee stage begins, amendments (changes) are gathered together and placed in order, then published in the ‘marshalled list'. Updated lists are produced before the start of each day of committee stage.
"During committee stage every clause of the bill has to be agreed to and votes on any amendments can take place. All suggested amendments have to be considered, if a member wishes, and members can discuss an issue for as long as they want.
"If the bill has been amended it is reprinted with all the agreed amendments."
What happens after the committee stage?
The report stage is next up in the Lords. Here, Peers will further scrutinise the Bill, while they also have a chance to make more amendments. It typically starts around two weeks after the committee stage, lasting a few days, and will be quickly followed by the third reading.
Finally, the Bill will be passed back to the Commons to consider any proposed amendments.
You can track the progress of the Bill here.
Will the Government accept amendments proposed by the Lords?
The Government is likely to reject most, if not all of the amendments made in the Lords, because:
- It has a large majority in the Commons
- The Renters' Rights Bill delivers some of its key manifesto pledges
If this happens, the Bill will be sent back and forth between the Houses in a process called "ping pong". While the Lords can delay the Bill, they can't stop it, meaning that the Government will eventually get its way.
Put simply, it will closely resemble its original form in September 2024, when it takes effect.
