About The Authors

Housing

Around 7 in 10 private tenants are unaware of the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill and its impact on their right, survey finds: 

Although the Renters’ Rights Bill (RRB) has been widely publicised by the government, mainstream news outlets, support organisations like Citizens Advice and tenancy advocacy groups, a recent survey indicates that a significant number (70%) of tenants in private rented accommodation are unaware of the implications of this new legislation, as well as the protections and penalties it will introduce when it is enacted in 2025.

Furthermore, in addition to the Renters’ Rights Bill, many tenants were found to lack fundamental knowledge about the rental system in general. The study revealed that nearly half (46%) of participants were unaware of how the deposit scheme works. About one-third (34%) did not know what a guarantor was before being asked to provide one, and more than half (58%) of renters reported being unaware of their options if they were unable to pay their rent.

The survey conducted by Housing Hand, a rental services provider, gathered responses from 1,700 private tenants across the UK regarding the Renters' Rights Bill. The results revealed that well over two-thirds (69%) of tenants had not heard of the bill, and while 31% said they had heard of it, only a quarter of those felt they understood how the bill would impact them.  This stands in sharp contrast to the knowledge amongst the 30,000 UK landlords who were surveyed in a separate study (by Dutton Gregory Solicitors) in 2024, where nearly half (47%) said they had a basic understanding of the bill and two-fifths (41%) said they had in-depth knowledge about it.

Although knowledge about the bill was low across all tenant demographics, some groups were more knowledgeable than others.  While over a third (36%) of the over-40s said they were aware of the bill, awareness amongst students was considerably lower (27%).

The report also highlighted that despite the bill proposing several measures to ensure tenants are treated more fairly -  such as a ban on no-fault evictions, the abolition of fixed-term tenancies, and a ban on rent in advance that exceeds one months’ rent,  only a fifth (22%) of the tenants who are aware of the bill believe it will improve their rights as tenants. 

Graham Hayward from Housing Hand said: "With the Renters’ Rights Bill set to deliver the biggest change to renting in a generation, the potential for knowledge gaps to cause issues grows exponentially. There is a significant opportunity here for landlords and others in the sector to work with renters for the benefit of all those involved in the rental process.”

Other Housing Research Findings

Other Latest Market Research Insights