Renter’s Rights Act causes Shadow Housing Secretary to be evicted
Sir James Cleverly is being evicted from the property he has rented as his landlord wants to protect himself before the new Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on May 1.
The Conservative MP for Braintree, and, ironically, the Shadow Housing Secretary, is having to leave the home he rents in the north of his constituency because his landlord is trying to sell it to avoid the new restrictions and responsibilities.
Cleverly was on a fixed-term tenancy but, like many others, is having to move.
Cleverly has been vocal in his concern that the new rights for tenants will lead to a massive increase in properties for sale. Statistics support his concerns as landlords rush to escape potentially onerous obligations to potentially demanding tenants.
Sources suggest that more than 200,00 rental homes could be withdrawn from the market in 2026 as many landlords are reducing their liability by selling or reducing property portfolios.
Indeed, Landlord Action, a legal firm, reported a significant 43% rise in Section 21 instructions in the early months of 2026 before they are banned.
The Renters’ Rights Act contains the following changes to become law on 1 May, with other changes to follow in further phases:
- Abolition of Section 21 (‘no-fault eviction’) notices under the Housing Act of 1988.
- Replacement of fixed-term tenancies to ‘assured periodic tenancies’.
- Imposition of longer notice periods for landlords who wish to sell from two months to a minimum of four months.
- Reforms possession grounds to balance landlord and tenant rights.
- Limits rent increases to once per year.
- Bans rental bidding and rent in advance, often used to secure popular properties.
- Imposes protections against discrimination ( for example, families with children, benefit recipients).
- Gives tenants the right to request pets be allowed. Landlords must give ‘reasonable’ consideration to requests and respond within 28 days but tenants must have pet insurance.
- Strengthens local council enforcement and rent repayment orders.
Labour’s Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, promotes the changes as being a massive boost to renters’ rights.
Critics, including Tory Sir James Cleverly, predict that the law’s side-effect will be to reduce the number of properties available while competition for those that remain will drive up rents, doubly impacting those seeking somewhere to live.
Reed told PoliticsHome ‘“Kicking tenants out before they receive stronger rights is the type of disgraceful behaviour from shameless landlords which our Act will stop… There is no need to evict their tenants ahead of this ban and landlords should give people the housing security they deserve.”’
Polls of landlords suggest 82% are concerned about the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act. It will reduce their ability to act in instances where their properties are damaged or if their own circumstances require them to sell.
PropertySurveying observes that the media presentation of tenants and landlords seems to be interchangeable and extreme, depending on the individual stories. The truth is that the vast majority of renters simply want a place to stay that meets their social, economic and financial needs, while landlords simply want respectable tenants who pay their rent reliably and respect the property they are inhabiting.
Time will tell if the Government has got the balance right.