The letting agents’ body says that while the Renters Rights Bill looks a dead cert to become law within months, more complex parts of it may not be implemented until next year or even 2027.

The Renters Rights Bill passed the Committee Stage in the House of Lords around six weeks ago. The next step, the Report Stage, is scheduled to begin tomorrow and continue over two additional sittings before mid-July. Royal Assent is expected in early September, once MPs return to Parliament following the summer recess.

According to the Agents Association, updates to tenancy agreements and new possession rules could be introduced later this year as “more complex elements, such as the landlord and agent database and the Decent Homes Standard, are expected to follow in 2026 or 2027.”

With the legislation likely to pass soon, the association is recommending that agents should:

Step 1: Reach out to your landlord clients for a conversation. It says: “The Renters Rights Bill is likely to introduce higher costs and risks for landlords, which letting agents should prepare to manage. These include a potential increase in void periods (especially in HMOs and student lets), delays in gaining possession through court, constraints on rent collection – e.g., no advance payments before signing the tenancy, and new fees for joining the database and Ombudsman scheme.”

Step 2: Their agents to conduct a thorough audit of property portfolios. While the precise requirements of the upcoming Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector are still under discussion, existing guidelines for the social housing sector provide a useful benchmark. These stipulate that properties should be in a reasonable state of repair and offer adequate thermal comfort.

According to the trade body, the standard also implies that homes must feature reasonably modern facilities, for example, a typical benchmark is that kitchens should be no older than 20 years and bathrooms no older than 30 years.

Particular focus is also expected to be placed on issues such as mould growth, extreme temperatures, serious structural defects posing a safety risk, and the threat of carbon monoxide leaks.

Step 3: agents are encouraged to review and refine their internal procedures, and to ensure staff are fully trained—making use of specialist training resources on the Bill’s provisions