As the Renters (Reform) Bill takes centre stage in the House of Commons for its Second Reading today, the Renters’ Reform Coalition (RRC) commissioned polling conducted by Opinium has revealed substantial public support for the proposed pro-renter reforms. Furthermore, the research indicates that renters and pro-renter campaign groups are demanding reforms that go beyond the current legislation. Amid these developments, the Conservative Party appears to be experiencing a sharp decline in support among its 2019 voters who are private renters.
The Opinium poll results, released today, shed light on the seismic shift in political support among private renters, with less than half (47%) of the quarter of Conservative voters from 2019 who are private renters expressing their intention to support the party in the next election.
The timing of this polling aligns with renters and pro-renter advocates converging on Westminster on the 23rd of October to urge Members of Parliament to fulfil their manifesto commitments to reform private renting.
Rumours of backlash against the legislation have surfaced among pro-landlord Conservative MPs who have allegedly threatened to oppose the rental reforms. This contention might have contributed to the five-month gap between the Bill’s First Reading and its Second Reading.
Notably, 87 Members of Parliament were found to have income from residential property, with 68 of them belonging to the Conservative Party.
The Renters (Reform) Bill is poised to advance past the Second Reading and be carried over to the new Parliamentary session, as opposition parties have indicated their support. However, if the rebellion within the Conservative Party exceeds the Government’s majority, the future of the legislation could become uncertain.
The Opinium poll, which surveyed 4,295 voters in England between the 17th and 20th of October, reflects strong public support for the proposals within the Renters (Reform) Bill. This includes significant backing for RRC’s recommendations that extend beyond the bill’s current provisions, even among Conservative voters.
The poll results show that 72% of respondents support a ban on Section 21 evictions, where landlords can evict tenants without providing a reason. A substantial majority (71%) also back extending the notice period for tenants from two months, as proposed in the Bill, to four months.
62% of respondents expressed support for measures safeguarding renters from eviction for the first two years of their tenancy without any fault of their own, an enhancement from the six-month “protected period” outlined in the Bill.
Moreover, more than two-thirds (68%) of respondents favour rental reforms aimed at preventing private rents from increasing beyond the rate of wage or price inflation. This mirrors support for RRC’s proposal to prohibit unaffordable rent hikes, which would be considered “economic evictions” under the reformed system.
Despite the Conservative Party appearing to lose support among renters, 54% of homeowners indicated their intention to vote Conservative in the next election, in contrast to a mere 15% among private renters.
Tom Darling, campaign manager at the RRC, emphasized the urgent need for the Renters (Reform) Bill, saying, “It’s shocking that we are only now at the Second Reading of this Bill – in the four years since the promise to end no-fault evictions was first made, more than 100,000 have been put at risk of homelessness as a result of a Section 21.”
He concluded, “The RRC is calling on all MPs to support this legislation tonight. We will then work in Parliament to strengthen the legislation with longer notice periods, increased security, enhanced requirements on landlords to provide quality homes, and measures to restrict in-tenancy rent increases. Only then will England’s 11 million private renters see the transformation to our housing experience that we so desperately need.”