Renters' Rights Bill Report Stage: Amendment 57
118Ayes
434Noes
Defeated · majority 316 · Government won99 did not vote
651 Members · Aye 118 · No 434 · DNV 99 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
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. 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 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.
Voting Aye meant
Support limiting upfront rent demands to a maximum of two months, protecting renters from large advance payments that create financial barriers to securing housing
Voting No meant
Oppose this specific cap, either because the government's own provisions adequately address advance rent issues or because a rigid two-month limit is seen as too restrictive
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped No
0
316
45
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
106
0
10
Liberal Democrats
Whipped No
0
61
11
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
35
7
Independent
—
2
10
2
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
4
0
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
5
0
0
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
4
0
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
2
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
1
0
Restore Britain
—
1
0
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
1
0
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Your Party
—
0
1
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Government amendments strengthen tenant protections by capping rent in advance at one month, limiting guarantor liability after tenant death, enabling landlord possession for redevelopment with alternative accommodation, and improving enforcement through database fees and ombudsman provisions.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (9,275 words) →
Bill creates unintended problems: locks out financially vulnerable tenants (poor credit scores, foreign workers, retirees) by removing rent-in-advance flexibility; imposes massive unfunded burdens on councils; lacks impact assessment; risks reducing housing supply as landlords exit sector or use short-term lets instead.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,176 words) →
Supports ending no-fault evictions and key protections, but amendments needed: extend student housing protections to off-street lets; limit in-tenancy rent increases to Bank of England base rate; require landlords to pay alternative accommodation costs; apply decent homes standard to military service family accommodation.Liberal Democrat · Voted no · Read full speech (2,237 words) →
Highlights tenant vulnerabilities in London and south-east where rent-in-advance demands are astronomical (equivalent to home purchase deposits); welcomes reforms but notes enforcement and council capacity are critical.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,943 words) →
Seeks amendment to extend decent homes standard to Ministry of Defence service family accommodation to ensure service families receive same protections as other tenants.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (87 words) →
Warns that landlords are pre-emptively raising rents and terminating tenancies before the Bill takes effect; calls for immediate interim protections during transition period.Independent · Voted no · Read full speech (1,265 words) →
Supports Bill as homelessness charity worker; measures will help charities provide more support to homeless people seeking rental accommodation.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (92 words) →
New clause 22 should require landlords to hold insurance and pay for alternative accommodation when properties become uninhabitable; current situation leaves tenants thousands of pounds out of pocket.Liberal Democrat · Voted no · Read full speech (150 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0