Renters' Rights Bill Report Stage: Amendment 57

What happened: The House of Commons voted on 14 January 2025 on Amendment 57 to the Renters' Rights Bill during its Report Stage (the phase where the full House considers changes to a bill after it has been examined in committee). The amendment was defeated by 434 votes to 118.

Why it matters: The Renters' Rights Bill is one of the government's flagship pieces of legislation, aimed at reforming the private rented sector in England. Amendment 57 would have modified the balance of the bill in a direction more favourable to landlords, and its defeat means the government's version of the legislation remained intact on this point. The bill as a whole advances significant changes to the rental market, including the abolition of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions, which affect millions of private renters across England.

The politics: The division produced a striking cross-party picture. The Conservative Party provided 106 of the 118 Aye votes, with additional support from the Democratic Unionist Party, Reform UK, and a handful of independents. The government's Labour benches, the Liberal Democrats, and smaller parties including the Greens all voted No, reflecting a broad coalition in support of the bill as written. The lopsided result of 434 to 118 underscores the government's commanding majority at this stage, and the bill proceeded to pass its Third Reading on the same day by 440 votes to 111.