Renters' Rights Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading

What happened: On 9 October 2024, the House of Commons voted on a Conservative reasoned amendment (a formal motion objecting to a bill proceeding) that would have blocked the Renters' Rights Bill at its Second Reading (the first major parliamentary debate on a bill's principles). The amendment was defeated by 424 votes to 104, allowing the bill to proceed through Parliament.

Why it matters: The Renters' Rights Bill is a significant piece of housing legislation that would abolish Section 21 "no-fault evictions," under which landlords can currently end a tenancy without giving a specific reason. The bill also strengthens other tenant protections across the private rented sector. Its passage through Second Reading means it will continue towards becoming law, affecting millions of private renters in England as well as landlords and letting agents across the country.

The politics: The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 97 Conservative MPs who voted backed the amendment, joined by 6 Reform UK and 3 independent MPs. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and the smaller Northern Irish and other parties voted unanimously against the amendment. There were no notable rebels on either side. The vote sits in a broader political context in which the previous Conservative government had itself promised to abolish no-fault evictions but repeatedly delayed doing so; the Labour government is now pursuing a version of that reform with considerably wider-ranging tenant protections attached.