The Renters Reform Bill had its second reading last week and will now pass to Committee Stage for a line by line scrutiny of the proposed Bill.

Whilst the Government has continued to assert that they are committed to reform of the rental market, they have confirmed that the proposed abolishment of the Section 21 process (so called "no fault evictions") will not take place until such time as there have been improvements made to the Court system. These improvements include moving the process online and instigating procedures for prioritising certain cases such as those involving anti-social behaviour.

This is seen by many as kicking the reforms into the "long grass" as the required improvements to the Court system are likely to take many years.

It remains to be seen what this will mean for the Bill and whether the proposed reforms will be enacted in the near future. Therefore at the current time, landlords should proceed as before but keep a watchful eye on the proposed reforms as they pass through Parliament.

We will, of course, keep you updated as and when we receive further information on the proposed reforms. However, if you have any queries, please feel free to contact your Property Disputes contact to discuss further.