As I suspect most readers are aware, we have a Renters Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament.
This is going to be the most significant shake-up of landlord and tenant law for over 35 years. Everyone in the Private Rented Sector needs to be fully prepared for the changes that the new act will bring.
It is why, way back in October last year, I decided to put on a conference to help landlords, letting agents and all in the PRS get a grip on the new law. We weren’t sure then exactly when the new act would come into force (some people were saying February, others October) but I settled on 11 and 12 March for the Conference dates.
By then, we should know the main features of the bill and how it will affect landlords. After all, the Labour Party have a huge majority and so can put through more or less what they like.
Which is more or less where we stand now.
The bill has yet to get through the Lords, but it is not anticipated that there will be major changes.
Why you need to attend this event:
Although the final form of the bill is not known yet, we know most of what it will contain. There will be very significant changes to law and practice, including
- The abolition of section 21 and fixed terms
- New rules about the payment of rent and how it is increased
- New rules on advertising for tenants, including rules against discrimination and ‘bidding wars’
- Changed grounds for possession under the ‘section 8’ procedure
- A new landlord database and redress scheme
- New rules about the condition of property and time limits for getting remedial work done
- New offences, along with increased penalty fines and significantly enhanced powers for Local Authority enforcement officers
These are all things that landlords need to prepare for.
The Conference is an online event so it will be easy for you to attend with no time-consuming and expensive travel needed.
So, what can you expect from the Renters Rights Conference?
It is a two-day event with 12 talks from eleven speakers. Here is a run down:
Day 1
Our Day 1 headline speaker Justin Bates KC from Landmark Chambers will open the Conference and introduce the legislation to us
Julie Ford will then give advice on how to help tenants in arrears – a more cost-effective solution to rent arrears than eviction.
David Smith, solicitor and partner at JMW Solicitors will then explain the new rules for student lets – something that is worrying a lot of people
David Cox, Rightmove General Counsel, will then explain the new rules landlords will have to follow for advertising for and sourcing tenants
After lunch
Sam Madge-Wyld, specialist housing barrister from Tanfield Chambers will explain the changes to the eviction rules, and
Kate Faulkner OBE will be discussing the new landlords database/property portal.
Day 2
Our Day 2 headline speaker Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, opening Day 2 of the Conference, will be discussing the new landlord redress scheme and talking about redress and mediation generally.
David Smith (his second talk) will be discussing the new Decent Homes standard (so far as is known) and Awaabs law
Suzanne Smith, landlord and solicitor, will be discussing the bill from the landlords’ point of view and giving advice
Jan Hytch, a former Propertymark President, now running the Propertymark helpline, will be discussing the bill from the point of view of agents and giving advice
After lunch
Robin Stewart, solicitor and partner at Anthony Gold Llp will be explaining the changes to the Rent Repayment Order process, and finally
Ben Reeve Lewis, whose organisation Safer Renting provides a Tenancy Relations Officer service to 13 Local Authorities in London and Suffolk, will be explaining the new penalties and Local Authority enforcement powers
Q&A sessions
Delegates will inevitably have many questions which speakers may not have time to deal with during their talks. So there is also a one hour Q&A session at the end of each day between 4 and 5 pm.
Hopefully, we will be able to answer most of your questions even if time does not allow us to deal with all of them.
The Conference in a Nutshall and how to book:
Title: The Renters Rights Bill Online Conference 2025
Date: 11 and 12 March 2025
Venue: Online only
Cost: £270 incl VAT (automatic discounts for Landlord Law members)
Discount: Landlord Law Blog readers can get a 10% discount with coupon code TE43NQ92
Recordings: will be available for 3 months after the event
CPD: Certificates provided for attendees (up to 11 hours depending on actual attendance time on the day)
Moneyback guarantee
Click here to find out more and book your place.
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