This blog sets out practical steps London councils and the Mayor can take now to prepare: strengthening enforcement, protecting vulnerable renters from “intentionally homeless” decisions, and working with advice agencies like Z2K to make sure the Act’s new rights are real in practice. It also highlights Z2K’s existing guide for private renters trying to navigate the changes.
Why the Act Matters So Much in London
London has one of the largest and most stretched private rented sectors in the country, with over a quarter of households renting privately. Abolishing section 21 and changing how landlords can regain possession will alter the pattern of homelessness presentations and the way tenants seek help from councils.
Councils are not bystanders in this reform. They are central to:
- Enforcing the new tenancy system and letting standards.
- Using strengthened investigatory powers and civil penalties.
- Monitoring how reforms affect homelessness, rough sleeping and temporary accommodation.
If implementation is under-resourced or poorly designed, many of the intended benefits for Londoners will not materialise and councils will bear the brunt in their homelessness and enforcement services.
Priority One: Make Enforcement Visible and Accessible
The new system depends heavily on tenants identifying problems and reporting them. Yet Z2K’s work with renters in Westminster found that nearly half did not even know the council had private rented sector (PRS) enforcement services. Others knew services existed but could not reach them because contact was only possible via an online form.
In a city where around one in ten people are digitally excluded, a “digital‑only” approach is likely to leave the most vulnerable renters without any route to enforcement at all. For councillors, this is a fixable problem.
Z2K’s recommendation:
- Local authorities should raise awareness of their enforcement services and ensure that renters can easily contact them, including by phone, in preparation for the Act’s rollout.
Priority Two: Reduce Harm from "Intentionally Homeless" Decisions
Z2K’s advisers are already seeing the damage that poor practice around “intentionality” can cause. Where a tenant is evicted on conduct grounds and approaches the council for help, they are much more likely to be found “intentionally homeless”, even if the underlying situation is complex, linked to ill health, disability, or other vulnerabilities.
With section 21 removed, landlords who previously used “no-fault” notices for rent arrears or behaviour issues will have to rely on conduct-based grounds. That means, without change, the number of households at risk of “intentionally homeless” decisions – and therefore rough sleeping – could rise.
Z2K’s recommendation:
- Local authorities should review and improve practice around intentional homelessness ahead of the Act’s implementation to protect vulnerable renters.
Z2K’s casework shows that incorrect “intentionally homeless” decisions are often reversed when challenged, but only after serious harm has occurred. Prevention through better practice is far more effective than relying on appeals.
Priority Three: Support Advice and Representation Services
The Renters’ Rights Act gives tenants more ways to enforce their rights – through tribunals, the new ombudsman and an expanded framework for rent repayment orders – but many renters will be reluctant to use these processes without support. Z2K’s research with low‑income renters in Westminster found that the complexity of procedures, fear of failure and the time commitment were major deterrents.
When asked what would help, renters consistently pointed to access to independent advice and representation. The Mayor has committed funding for advice services, including programmes focused on helping low-income families secure support they are entitled to, but not all renters will qualify for that help and demand is likely to rise as the Act comes into force.
Z2K’s recommendations:
- The Mayor should consider awarding additional funding for advice services and tenants unions to ensure all renters can exercise their new rights.
- Promote existing independent resources to constituents, including Z2K’s guide for private renters on understanding the Renters’ Rights Act.
Priority Four: Monitor Impact
The Act will eventually introduce a new private rented sector database and strengthens reporting duties for local authorities on enforcement. Used well, these tools can help government understand how reforms are playing out across the city and within individual boroughs.
The Mayor is well-placed to use scrutiny powers to ensure local data is collected and analysed in a way that supports proactive policy, not just compliance.
Z2K’s recommendations:
- The Mayor should develop and expand the Private Rented Sector Partnership to support information-sharing about enforcement of the Act across different local authorities.
- The Mayor should offer training and support to local authorities to improve practice around intentional homelessness.
Evidence already suggests that London has been losing private rented homes, particularly at the most affordable end, which poses obvious risks for homelessness and overcrowding.
Additionally, the average one-bed private rented flat in London costs 52% of median pre-tax pay, meaning that private renters in London are particularly exposed to insecurity as a result of rent increases, which will still be permissible within market levels under the Act.
A data‑driven approach will help councils respond quickly if the Act accelerates these trends.
Z2K’s recommendations:
- The Mayor should continue supporting local authorities to acquire new social homes, to mitigate a potential reduction in supply.
- The Mayor should continue to call for powers to introduce rent controls and for the government to collect actual rent data via the PRS database.
How Z2K Can Support London Private Renters
Z2K combines frontline casework with policy research, giving us a clear view of how national reforms play out in real people’s lives across London. Our submission to the London Assembly Housing Committee includes detailed recommendations on enforcement, homelessness practice, advice funding and the Mayor’s role that may be useful for scrutiny committees and policy reviews.
