Renters Rights Act scrapping remark: Conservatives say no plan

The question of whether the Renters Rights Act could be scrapped has been raised by the Conservatives’ housing spokesperson, though her party has since said it is not policy. Shadow Housing Secretary Katie Lam appears to have backed scrapping the law at the Conservative Party conference, according to trade site The Negotiator. The party later clarified that there is no plan to repeal it.

The row comes as agents report fewer homes coming to market in London. For tenants, the practical position is unchanged: the Act is in force and its protections apply.

What changed on 1 May 2026

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces significant reforms to the private rented sector in England, according to Walsall Council’s guidance for tenants. Many of the changes took effect on 1 May 2026, including the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and of fixed-term tenancies.

North Devon Council explains that on that date every Assured Shorthold Tenancy automatically became a periodic tenancy, rolling on without a fixed end date. Tenants can give notice at any point, normally two months in writing, unless their agreement sets a shorter period. Landlords must now rely on a specific legal ground to regain a property, and notice periods range from weeks to months. Four months’ notice is required where the landlord intends to sell or move back in.

Rent rules have also tightened. Rent can rise only once a year, with at least two months’ notice, through the Section 13 process. Tenants can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which cannot set a figure above what the landlord proposed. Landlords can ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance, and bidding above the advertised rent is banned.

What Katie Lam said, and what the Conservatives clarified

Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies fringe event, Ms Lam was asked about the reforms. The Negotiator reports her as saying: “I don’t care where it comes from. It’s got to go.”

The Conservative Party then said she had been talking about the broader challenges the legislation has created for landlords, and that there is no policy plan to scrap it. Reports of her speech say she also vowed to scrap Stamp Duty and abolish the Future Homes Standard. She also pledged to cut the cost of new-build homes by up to £50,000 and to replace Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy with a single levy.

Propertymark’s Timothy Douglas welcomed the focus on supply and planning. He said that “planning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis”, and that the test would be whether the proposals “actually deliver more homes and improve affordability, particularly for first-time buyers and renters”. His comments were on the housing package, not specifically on the Act.

Rental stock decline in 2026: what the figures show

None of the sources reviewed gives a national figure for the fall in rental stock, so no such figure should be taken as established. The nearest evidence is regional. Online agency Hello Neighbour cites Zoopla’s Rental Market Report as putting the number of homes available to rent in London 6% lower than a year ago, and 13% lower in inner London.

Hello Neighbour says advertised rents on its Greater London listings were 6.1% higher in September than a year earlier, at an average of £2,448. By our calculation that implies an average of about £2,307 a year ago, or roughly £141 a month less. Growth has slowed from 9.8% in August, but rents remain almost 13% above January to April levels.

Demand tells a different story. The agency recorded 34 enquiries per property in September, down from 45 in September 2025, 61 in 2024 and 65 in 2023. That is a fall of about 24% on last year, by our calculation. The agency says demand has not changed significantly this year, though every month has been lower than the same month in 2025.

Landlord impact and the dispute over causes

The agency argues the Act is shaping how landlords set opening rents. It says the ban on offers above the asking price and the once-a-year limit on increases have encouraged landlords to list higher at the outset, and that “many of the conversations we are having with landlords support this”.

Zoopla, as quoted by the agency, links tight supply to higher mortgage rates keeping would-be first-time buyers renting for longer. It argues that market forces are doing more than the Act, pointing to Scotland, which has run a similar system for some years. Hello Neighbour expects achieved rents to grow more slowly than advertised ones for the rest of 2026.

These sources do not show landlords leaving the market in numbers. They also do not settle how much of the supply fall is down to the Act and how much to mortgage costs. The figures cover London, not England as a whole.

What to do now

Renters do not need to act because of the political row. If you are in a tenancy that began before 1 May 2026, it is now periodic, and your landlord cannot serve a Section 21 notice. Keep any notice you receive and check the ground the landlord relies on.

If your landlord proposes a rent rise, check it arrives with at least two months’ notice through the Section 13 process, and that it is your only increase in the year. You can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal, and the increase will not take effect until the tribunal decides.

If you are searching for a home, expect a fixed advertised rent with no bidding, and no more than one month’s rent in advance. Landlords cannot refuse you solely because you receive benefits or have children. If a landlord breaks the rules, you can complain to your local council or the First-tier Tribunal, and may seek a rent repayment order of up to two years’ rent.

Your questions answered

Will the Renters Rights Act be scrapped?

There is no sign of it. The Conservatives say Katie Lam was discussing the challenges the law has created for landlords, and that there is no policy plan to scrap it. The Act’s main provisions have applied since 1 May 2026.

Why are landlords leaving the rental market?

The sources reviewed do not establish that landlords are leaving in large numbers. Hello Neighbour cites falling supply in London, and Zoopla links it to higher mortgage rates keeping buyers in the rental market for longer.

What impact has the Renters Rights Act had on rental stock?

That is not clear from the evidence available. Zoopla figures cited by Hello Neighbour show London supply 6% lower than a year ago, and 13% lower in inner London. Zoopla argues market forces are doing more than the Act, citing Scotland’s experience.