Though the new Renters Rights Act in England is affecting its rental market, especially in London, a new study conducted by SpareRoom has shown that the act is not the reason for 43 percent of tenant evictions in the country.
The study found that only 9 percent of landlords currently evicting tenants cite the Act as the direct reason, which challenges the narrative that the legislation is the primary driver of possession actions across the country’s rental market.
According to the study, which surveyed 4,484 tenants in England, including 1,897 in London, property sales account for 43 percent of evictions, making it the most frequently cited reason landlords give for regaining possession. This aligns with broader trends showing some landlords exiting the market amid changing economic conditions and regulatory pressures.
PropertyWire, an online property research platform, notes that there are transparency concerns in eviction notices, explaining that, beyond property sales, 23 percent of tenants report their landlord provided an alternative reason for eviction, while an equal proportion say no reason was given at all. The latter finding highlights ongoing transparency issues in the sector, even as regulatory scrutiny of landlord practices increases.
The platform says that a further 14 percent of tenants in England report landlords seeking possession to move back into the property themselves, reflecting traditional justifications linked to changing personal circumstances. Against this backdrop, the Renters’ Rights Act appears as a comparatively minor factor in current eviction decisions.
The Renters Act comes with market implications for investors, as available data suggests that while the Act dominates industry discussion, day-to-day landlord decisions to regain possession remain primarily driven by financial and practical considerations rather than policy changes alone. This pattern mirrors recent market dynamics, showing increased property supply across the UK housing sector.
“Being a landlord requires work and good landlords know that. But there will also be good landlords who’ve decided compliance isn’t worth the sale, and it will be a great shame to lose them,” Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said.
He added, “it would be an exaggeration to say supply in the flatshare market has been immune to the Renters’ Rights Act, but it’s been surprisingly resilient when you consider the response from landlords, many of whom said they planned to quit the market or reduce their portfolios.”
Hutchinson noted some rental growth patterns, recalling that since the Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on October 27, 2024, approximately 30 percent of tenants in England who remained in the same property have experienced rent increases.
However, SpareRoom does not provide comparable year-on-year data, making it difficult to determine whether this represents typical market conditions or a shift linked to current circumstances.
The research comes as rental demand patterns continue to evolve across different UK regions, with varying levels of tenant competition affecting local markets.
Hutchinson noted that the Renters’ Rights Act will provide tenants with greater security through the end of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and fixed-term tenancies, alongside restrictions on landlords requesting multiple months’ rent in advance.
However, he cautioned that the legislation is “unlikely to do, in the short term at least, significantly reduce rents.”
