The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which had its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, contains an unexpected ban on upward-only rent review clauses in new commercial leases. The Government has stated that the policy behind this ban is supporting smaller businesses who are struggling to keep up with open market rent reviews that only allow rent to rise, not fall.

The measure has generated concern among landlords and investors, particularly given the surprising lack of prior consultation on such a major reform in a sector that has historically operated with minimal statutory intervention. For now, the Bill remains in its early parliamentary stages and is highly susceptible to changes following lobbying, with its Second Reading due in September.

This article sets out the scope of the proposed ban and its implications for the commercial rental sector if passed as it currently stands.

Following its Third Reading in the House of Lords on 21 July 2025, only minor drafting amendments were made to the Renters (Reform) Bill (‘the Bill’), signalling the Lords’ broad approval of its substance.

If the Bill is given Royal Assent in its current form — with no last-minute policy reversals when it returns to the Commons on 8 September 2025 — it will mark the most significant overhaul of tenancy law since the Housing Act 1988.

This article outlines the key reforms envisaged by the Bill to help landlords, tenants, and investors prepare for the changes ahead.

As part of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, the government has proposed introducing new regulations to define what landlords and managing agents can charge leaseholders in connection with arranging building insurance.

A consultation was launched in December 2024 to seek views on what should constitute a “permitted insurance fee.” The government’s formal response was published on 11 July 2025.