Reform UK has pledged to scrap the government’s Renters’ Rights Act if it wins the next general election, describing the law as part of a series of regulations that “hinder growth, investment and prosperity”.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025, due to come into force in May, represents one of the most significant reforms to the private rental sector in England in decades. It abolishes Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, limits rent increases to once a year at the market rate, strengthens tenants’ right to claim pets and prohibits discrimination against families with children or those on welfare.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said the party would introduce a “Great Repeal Bill” aimed at repealing what he called “well-intentioned but damaging” rules across several sectors. Speaking in Birmingham, he said that alongside employment reforms and environmental regulations, new property rental regulations should also be scrapped.
“Let’s get past the stupid regulations,” Tice said. “Getting rid of the new property rental rules is all well-intentioned, but it destroys jobs, hinders growth and investment. This will help reduce inflation and lower bills.”
The announcement has reignited debate about how best to balance tenant safety with landlord confidence and housing supply.
Patricia Ogunfeibo, founder of tenant2owner, said repealing the law could lead to further instability in a market already struggling with political uncertainty.
“Repealing the Tenant Rights Act may sound attractive from a growth perspective,” she said, “but constant policy reversals create instability for both landlords and tenants. Retroactive changes and disregard for existing contractual agreements are already undermining trust. A complete repeal of the law could increase this uncertainty.”
She added that renters should not rely solely on changing political agendas to secure their housing future and urged greater focus on pathways to home ownership.
Simon Bridgland, broker at Charwin Private Clients, said complete abolition was unlikely in practice and argued that certain elements of the legislation, particularly measures to tackle poor housing standards, had widespread support.
“I see more of a dilution than an abolition,” he said. “The law brings positive changes for tenants in terms of living conditions and accountability. The difficulty lies in how aggressively some of these standards have been implemented, particularly with regard to energy efficiency.”
He noted that landlords face rising compliance costs, stricter tax treatment and increasing regulatory burdens. “Profit margins have already fallen. If the incentives are removed completely, fewer landlords will remain in the market and that will reduce supply.”
Other analysts warned that removing tenant protections alone would not solve the structural housing shortage.
David Stirling, an independent financial adviser at Mint Wealth, said the UK’s housing crisis was primarily due to insufficient supply.
“The real question is whether repealing the law would increase housing stock,” he said. “Without a significant increase in new and social housing construction, there is a risk that the weakening of tenants’ rights will lead to a more insecure rental market without rents becoming cheaper.”
Stirling argued that successive governments had failed to address long-term supply shortages, instead vacillating between landlord- and tenant-focused reforms.
Official data shows that the private rental sector remains a crucial part of the housing system, housing millions of households. However, due to tax changes and higher borrowing costs, landlord exits have become more common in recent years, leading to lower rental availability in some regions.
Michelle Lawson, director at Lawson Financial, supported Reform’s position, claiming the legislation could discourage landlords from maintaining or expanding portfolios.
“It will reduce housing stock, make rents more expensive and reduce choice,” she said. “As supply shrinks, landlords may become more selective, ultimately impacting vulnerable tenants.”
The Renters’ Rights Act was one of Labour’s flagship housing reforms and was positioned as a response to increasing tenant insecurity and rising rents. Ministers have argued that abolishing no-fault evictions would lead to a fairer and more stable rental system.
But critics say the legislation risks tipping the balance too much against landlords, at a time when higher mortgage rates and stricter lending criteria have already reduced investor appetite.
With housing affordability and rental shortages dominating the political debate, Reform’s promise signals that the private rental sector is likely to remain a key battleground ahead of the next election.
Whether abolishing the law would boost supply or simply increase volatility remains controversial. What is clear is that the UK rental market continues to face significant structural pressures and that policy direction is likely to influence landlord behavior and tenant safety in the coming years.
