The way we think about renting needs a rethink; the new Renter’s Rights Act gives us that opportunity. Alan is 64, currently owns his home, and is looking to rent his next one. Having got divorced, with his current home about to be sold, the rental system has placed clearly unfair barriers in front of him. He describes his current situation, telling us, “We put the house up for sale because we're splitting our house 50-50. I'm currently on disability benefits and I don't have significant savings. I've got to find somewhere to live when the house is sold. When I approached estate agents, the credit rating came back that I don't have a renting history. Therefore, I would need to pay 12 months of rent in advance and have a Guarantor, even though I have an excellent credit rating.”

Unrealistic

“Twelve months of rent would equate to something like £16,500,” he explains. This is a huge roadblock to Alan’s plans. It’s an unrealistic amount of cash for most of us to find, and he points out, “It depletes my ability to do things that would improve my income, that I could use to develop my business to generate more income with that money. Instead, it's sitting in somebody's bank account.”

Just a year ago there might have been no way around this, with cards stacked against him when he needed to rent a home, forcing him to find, and tie up, a year’s rental costs He’d also need to find a landlord or agent he could be confident wouldn’t discriminate against him while he’s in receipt of benefits. This unfairness is one of the reasons that there has been a sustained campaign for the reforms that the new act will introduce.

Welcoming change

Alan welcomes them, particularly as he was facing the expense of having to put his possessions into storage and live in a hotel until he found somewhere. He says, “I'm being penalised financially for what really comes down to a rental credit rating system that's not amenable to my circumstances.” The circumstances he describes aren’t unique, and until now have heaped untold stress onto many people. If we consider that an affordable home is everyone’s right, then he points out, “there's still an element of luck going on here, which no human should have to depend on. I might be more than able to wing it somehow, because that's the kind of person I am. But that's not fair, is it?”

It certainly isn’t. The Renters’ Rights Act will now limit the amount of upfront rent that can be asked for to one month maximum, and discriminating against a potential tenant because they are receiving benefits will be outlawed. New rights for renters mean that the element of luck that he talks about will no longer be needed when it comes to unmanageable demands for advance rent, and the ability to refuse a tenancy simply because they are receiving benefits.

Fairer for tenants

For Alan, the Renters’ Rights Act has come at just the right time. It shines a light on a system that has made life difficult for many tenants up to now. The legislation marks an important moment of system change. Although there are parts of the system that will still be a challenge, it will underpin a fairer relationship between good tenants like Alan, and their landlords. It will benefit both parties, and reduce the worrying levels of insecurity that everyone has faced under the old system.

It’s a big change that we can all be glad of. As Alan says, “I wouldn't want to see my children have to go through this… or anybody.“ Because, when it comes to our homes, we all need to depend on the certainty of robust rights… not luck!