The Government has announced six dates for committee sessions in April and May as the Renters' Rights Bill enters its final stages.
Updated May 7, 2025
The committee stage of the Renters' Rights Bill (House of Lords) is now well underway.
Below, you'll find everything you need to know about what will happen when, and what comes next 👇
- What is the committee stage? (House of Lords)
- When is the committee stage of the Renters' Rights Bill happening?
- What's happened in the committee stage so far?
- What happens after the committee stage?
- Will the Government accept amendments proposed by the Lords?
What is the committee stage? (House of Lords)
The Parliament 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."
When is the committee stage of the Renters' Rights Bill happening?
The Government has announced dates for committee sessions, which will be April 22, April 24, April 28, May 6, May 12, and May 14. According to the Parliament 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, 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 2025 and January 2026.
What's happened in the committee stage so far? (House of Lords)
As expected, Peers have suggested amendments to some of the Government's flagship reforms, notably:
- The abolition of Section 21
- The shift towards periodic tenancies
- The ability to appeal Section 13 rent increases
Here are some of the key changes they proposed, along with the Government's response...
1 - Investing in the courts before abolishing Section 21
The Shadow Housing Minister, Baroness Scott of Bybrook, touched on a widespread concern in one of her amendments. Many in the private rented sector believe that the court system needs significant investment; otherwise, it will be unable to process the increased volume of Section 8 notices effectively. She said:
"This amendment would require the Lord Chancellor to assess the operation of the possession process to ensure the court service has the capacity to deal with the increased demand expected because of this Bill."
Government response
The Government rejected this amendment, emphasising its commitment to court digitisation to improve efficiency.
2 - Reviewing rent increase challenges before tribunal
Under the Renters' Rights Bill, tenants can dispute rent increases through the First-tier Property Tribunal if they disagree with them. There are also no plans to backdate rent increases if courts rule in favour of a landlord, which many believe will incentivise tenants to appeal.
Addressing this concern, Baroness Wolf of Dulwich suggested that appeals should be reviewed before they’re sent to the tribunal. She said:
"All appeals against rent increases should go in the first instance to the Valuation Office Agency and progress to the First-tier Tribunal only if there is a clear case to answer."
Government response
The Government praised Baroness Wolf's intentions while citing concerns about resource implications and potential delays. They also acknowledged that filtering out unfounded cases would help to alleviate pressure on the tribunal system.
What happens after the committee stage?
The report stage is next up in the Lords. Here, Peers will further scrutinise the Bill, while also having a chance to make additional 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 Lords will return the Bill to the Commons for consideration of any amendments passed by the House of Lords.
You can track the progress of the Bill here.
Will the Government accept amendments proposed by the Lords?
The Government is likely to reject amendments made in the Lords by Opposition or Backbench Peers — especially those relating to the abolition of Section 21 and the shift towards periodic tenancies. This is because:
- Tenancy reform is one of Labour's key manifesto pledges - under the Salisbury Doctrine, the House of Lords will "not try to vote down at second or third reading, a Government Bill mentioned in an election manifesto"
- Labour has a large majority in the Commons - in the UK's bicameral system, the Commons is the elected chamber and the Lords is unelected, so its decisions will ultimately prevail
After the Lords passes the Bill back to the Commons, a process called "ping pong" could happen before it reaches Royal Assent. This refers to "the to and fro of amendments to Bills between the House of Commons and the House of Lords", when both Houses disagree on the content of a Bill.
While the Lords can use "ping pong" to delay a Bill, they can't ultimately stop it because of the Parliament Acts, which limit the powers of the House of Lords to reject legislation.
Put simply, the final Renters' Rights Bill will closely resemble its original form in September 2024, when it takes effect.
