Strong public backing for Renters’ Reform Bill and improving the availability of affordable rental properties

Key Findings

•  6 in 10 (58%) Britons support the abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions
• 7 in 10 or more support several other proposed provisions in the Bill
• Three-quarters (77%) think that landlords taking advantage of tenants is a very or fairly serious problem facing Britain today
• 8 in 10 (81%) think the amount of affordable properties available to rent is a very or fairly serious problem
• 1 in 2 (54%) consider homes to rent from housing associations/local authorities to be among the types of homes most needed in Britain (the highest-ranked of four types)
• 3 in 5 (63%) aren’t confident that the UK will build enough affordable new homes in the next few years
• 1 in 2 (52%) judge the Conservative Government as doing a bad job at improving housing (34%of Conservative voters)

Analysis and Commentary

New Ipsos polling conducted shortly before the Government’s presentation of the Renter’s Reform Bill to Parliament has found strong support for its content.
Six in ten people (58%) support the abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions - i.e., an eviction by a landlord without giving a specific reason (within the notice period). Half of this group say they are strongly supportive of this provision (32%).

Support was even stronger for requiring homes rented out by private landlords to meet the same standards as those rented by social landlords (housing associations and local authorities). Seven in ten people (73%) support this.

The same proportion support limiting the number of times a landlord can increase the rent they charge to tenants so this happens only once a year (also 73%) and increasing the minimum notice period landlords must give to change the rent they charge (70%). Three-quarters (76%) back legislation to ensure that landlords must make it clear in agreements with tenants how, when and for what reason rents can be increased.

Levels of support are similar (68%) for making it easier for landlords to evict from their properties tenants who are responsible for antisocial behaviour, and in making it easier for tenants to challenge rent increases they consider unfair (70%). Two-thirds (66%) back the creation of an Ombudsman system covering private landlords.

A majority also support making it illegal for landlords to refuse to let their properties to families with children (54%) and those in receipt of benefits (52%).
Levels of support are similar among different tenure groups and regardless of political affiliation. However, at the time of the survey, two in five people said they had never heard of the Renters’ Reform Bill (38%) and a quarter (23%) had heard of it but knew nothing about it.

The backdrop to support for the Renters’ Reform Bill is a sentiment among 33% of the public that those who rent from a private landlord are thought to have benefited the least from actions taken by the Conservative government to improve housing in recent years, ahead of first-time buyers (28%) and other tenure groups.

While three-quarters (77%) think that landlords taking advantage of tenants is a very or fairly serious problem facing Britain today, a much smaller proportion (45%) think the same of tenants taking advantage of landlords.

The amount, affordability and condition of properties available for rent are considered to be serious problems. Eight in ten Britons (81%) think the amount of affordable properties available to rent is a very or fairly serious problem. Three-quarters (74%) judge the amount of social housing available in the same vein including 69% of Conservative voters in 2019 and 84% of Labour voters.

More than half of Britons (54%) think homes to rent from housing associations or local authorities are most needed choosing these above homes to buy outright are on a mortgage (35%), homes to own/part rent (28%) and homes to rent from private landlords (23%).

Social housing is prioritised among all tenure groups, Conservative and Labour voters.

However, confidence that the UK will build enough affordable new homes in the next few years is low. Six in ten (63) are not very or not at all confident that this will happen including seven in ten Labour voters (70%) and a majority of Conservative voters (55%).

The survey also found a downbeat assessment of the Conservative Government’s record at improving housing in Britain. Half (52%) rated the Government as doing a bad job, more than double the proportion who rated it positively (18%). A third of Conservative voters in 2019 (34%) were negative.

The public are divided over whether a Labour government would do a better job. A third think they would (35%) but the same proportion think it would make no difference and a fifth (18%) think they would do a worse job.

Technical note

• Ipsos surveyed 2,186 adults aged 16-75 in Great Britain between 12-14 May 2023 on the online Omnibus platform.  Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.