Understanding the Renters (Reform) Bill: An Overview of Likely Changes

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.

Does a development constitute a number of separate buildings for freehold enfranchisement?

Does a development constitute a single “building” or a number of separate “buildings” for the purpose of freehold enfranchisement?

There have been a number of decisions around the question of whether flat owners’ rights operate on a block by block basis or in respect of a number of blocks via single claim in connection with collective enfranchisement, the enfranchisement of the freehold to a single house, the right to manage and the right of first refusal.

Varying residential flat leases

Flat leases often contain defects which one party or the other would like to see changed. This can be a particular problem on resale as lenders continue to tighten their requirements over time.

Such a change would usually be documented by varying the lease via a Deed known as a “Variation”.

Recent case law developments have made lease variations easier in certain circumstances and serve as a useful reminder of the available routes for seeking a variation.