9:48 AM, 20th March 2026, 2 months ago 1 
The London Assembly Housing Committee has warned that low awareness of the Renters’Rights Act among London tenants could undermine reforms. The committee reports that more than 65% of occupants in the capital have actually either not heard of the Act or do not comprehend what it suggests for them.
The committee is contacting London Mayor Sadiq Khan to improve public communication of the Act, including posters throughout the London Underground.
Awareness of the brand-new law is worryingly low
Chair of the London Assembly Real Estate Committee, Zoë Garbett AM, said: “The Occupants’ Rights Act will introduce significant modifications to leasing, however these reforms will only work if renters learn about them and feel confident exercising their rights when confronted with illegal behaviour from non-compliant landlords.”
“Our investigation discovered awareness of the brand-new law is worryingly low. Without clear information and support, lots of occupants just won’t benefit from the protections the Act is meant to deliver.
“The Mayor has the reach to guarantee Londoners understand these new rights before the law comes into force.”
Interaction ought to be stepped up
In a letter to Mr Khan, the committee claimed that evidence from Generation Lease shows 2 in five London renters would not feel great doing something about it against their property manager over disrepair or concerns about unlawful behaviour.
The committee is advising Mr Khan to enhance interaction around the Renters’ Rights Act to help occupants comprehend their rights. They say communication ought to focus on steps in the act, including the abolition of Area 21 expulsions, the right to ask for a pet, and a restriction on rental bidding.
With the Tenants’ Rights Act entering force on 1 May 2026, the committee states interaction must be stepped up as the act nears implementation.
The committee states the Mayor must utilize all readily available channels to communicate the Tenants’ Rights Act, including social media and marketing throughout the Transportation for London network, such as posters on the Underground, and coordinate messaging closely with districts, tenants’ organisations, and housing charities.
Communication should be balanced
As formerly reported by Property118, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has actually warned any messaging around the Renters’ Rights Act must be communicated in a balanced way that addresses both property owners and tenants.
Ben Beadle, president of the NRLA, stated: “Messaging requirements to be performed in an equal method. You may think the personal leased sector is the wild west, and there are loads of bad property owners out there. Nevertheless, the data don’t bear that out and the private leased sector has a far greater satisfaction score than the social real estate sector.
“We require to make certain we are encouraging tenants to access the rights that are being managed to them, but also speaking even-handedly to the landlord who we depend upon so much to provide great quality real estate.”