Politics · United Kingdom · 2 hrs ago
Renters’ Rights Act gives student tenants more freedom to leave
The Renters’ Rights Act gives student tenants in England more freedom to leave private rental homes.
The law ended fixed-term tenancies for these renters, replacing them with rolling agreements that have no set end date.
Tenants can give two months’ notice, which helped Eddie Lever leave a house he had rented for the year after deciding to change university courses.
Because he shared a joint tenancy, leaving ended the agreement for the whole house, but a friend took his room and allowed his housemates to sign a new tenancy.
Students can also move out earlier to avoid paying rent over the summer, while landlords warn that less certainty could lead to higher rents.
University halls and purpose-built student accommodation are exempt and can still offer fixed-term contracts.
The law also lets landlords seek to evict a group of students at the end of the academic year if they plan to rent the property to students again.
The Renters’ Rights Act lets students renting from private landlords leave a tenancy with two months’ notice.
The change ended fixed-term tenancies for these renters, replacing them with rolling agreements.
Eddie Lever used the new rules to leave a tenancy after deciding to change universities.
His departure ended the joint tenancy, but a friend took his room so his housemates could sign a new agreement.
Landlords warn that greater freedom for students to leave could bring higher rents.
- Who
- Students renting from private landlords in England, including Eddie Lever.
- What
- The Renters’ Rights Act allows them to leave tenancies with two months’ notice instead of being tied to fixed-term contracts.
- When
- The act came into force in May; the year is not stated.
- Where
- England.
- Why
- The act ended fixed-term tenancies for renters, giving students more flexibility to move or leave.
Student tenants
Student landlords
Flexibility
Student tenants
Students benefit from being able to leave a tenancy when circumstances change or move out for the summer.
Student landlords
Landlords face less certainty when students leave before the academic year ends.
Financial impact
Student tenants
Eddie Lever said being locked into a full-year contract could make changing universities unaffordable.
Student landlords
Landlords warn that the changes could lead to higher rents.
The Renters' Rights Act came into force.
Eddie Lever decided to leave his tenancy after deciding to switch from the University of Exeter to the University of York.
Lever left the joint tenancy, and a friend took his room so his housemates could sign a new tenancy.
- Notice period
- Two months
- Eddie Lever’s age
- 20
- First university
- University of Exeter
- Planned university
- University of York
- Exempt accommodation
- University-owned halls and purpose-built student accommodation can still offer fixed-term contracts
What people are saying
If the Renters' Rights Act wasn't a thing, I don't think I would have been able to move universities because I would have been locked into the full [year] contract
It would have made it unaffordable.
this flexibility means students can also save money on rent by moving home for the summer.