Renters’ Rights Bill: Motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 11
398Ayes
93Noes
Carried · majority 305 · Government won155 did not vote
646 Members · Aye 398 · No 93 · DNV 155 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 8 September 2025, MPs voted by 398 to 93 to reject Lords Amendment 11 to the Renters' Rights Bill. The amendment, passed narrowly in the House of Lords in July 2025, would have allowed landlords to require tenants to pay an additional deposit equivalent to three weeks' rent as a condition of permitting them to keep a pet. By passing the motion to disagree, MPs removed that provision from the bill. The practical effect of the vote is that tenants in England seeking a landlord's permission to keep a pet will not face an extra upfront charge of three weeks' rent on top of an existing deposit. The government argued that three additional weeks' rent amounts to more than £900 for the average tenant in England, well above the £300 average cost of pet-related deposit deductions. Ministers maintained that the existing five-week deposit already gives landlords adequate financial protection against pet damage and that delegated powers under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 are already available to permit higher deposits if evidence of inadequate protection comes forward. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 288 Labour MPs and all 35 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted supported the government's position, as did all 60 Liberal Democrats, all four Democratic Unionists, all three Greens and the two Your Party MPs. All 86 voting Conservatives and all six voting Reform UK MPs opposed it, alongside two Independents. There were no notable cross-party rebels on either side.
Voting Aye meant
Support rejecting the Lords amendment, keeping the ban on additional pet deposits and making it easier for renters to keep pets without paying large extra charges upfront
Voting No meant
Support the Lords amendment allowing landlords to charge a three-week pet deposit, giving landlords greater financial protection against potential damage from pets
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 Aye
288
0
73
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
86
30
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
59
0
12
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
35
0
7
Independent
—
6
2
5
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped No
0
6
2
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
4
0
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
1
0
1
Your Party
—
2
0
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Government must reject most Lords amendments as they undermine core Bill principles; supports amendments on agricultural workers and maintains 12-month no-let restriction to prevent abuse.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (4,162 words) →
Bill is poorly thought through and counterproductive; will drive landlords out and reduce housing supply; Lords amendments attempt to address real problems the Government has created.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (2,220 words) →
Supports Bill's core aims but backs certain Lords amendments including those on shared owners (19), carers (64), and military housing (39) to improve fairness and accountability.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,366 words) →
Bill is groundbreaking and must be protected; opposes amendments that weaken discrimination enforcement and the 12-month no-let restriction; urges rapid implementation.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (344 words) →
Bill essential to address sector imbalance; opposes amendments on standard of proof (26-27), pet deposits (11), and re-let periods (18) as they undermine tenant protections.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,319 words) →
Bill overdue; strongly opposes amendments on pet deposits (11), re-let periods (18), and standard of proof (26); backs military housing standard (39).Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,023 words) →
Bill's core principles must be preserved; opposes Lords amendments expanding eviction grounds and raising standard of proof; criticises Opposition for abandoning no-fault eviction commitment.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (687 words) →
Bill provides critical opportunity for survivors of domestic abuse; opposes amendments that weaken tenant protections and stability.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (197 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0