The Renters’ Rights Act is a surprisingly effective answer to the loneliness crisis

The Renters' Rights Act provides assurance to renters, abolishing "no-fault" evictions, reforming tenancy agreements, and introducing new protections against discrimination.

Much has been said in the past few days against the Act — critics warn it could drive landlords from the market, reduce the supply of rental homes, and make letting more costly or complex.

Yet these arguments, while highlighting legitimate implementation challenges, also underline why the Bill matters for belonging. It recognises that housing is not just an economic transaction but the foundation of security, stability, and connection.

Because the Renters’ Rights Bill is not only housing reform, it is belonging reform. In a country where too many people feel cut off from their neighbours and unsure of their footing, the home is the first rung on the ladder to connection. The Belonging Forum’s Belonging Barometer, a recently conducted study of 10,000 UK adults, shows how tenure shapes the social fabric.

The picture is stark. Two in five renters (40%) report experiencing loneliness, compared with 29% of homeowners. Renters are 50% more likely to feel unsafe at night. They report lower happiness and greater dissatisfaction with friendships. And while 63% of homeowners feel a strong connection to their local area, only 52% of renters say the same.

These are not abstract statistics; they are daily reminders that insecurity in housing breeds insecurity in life. If we want communities that are confident and cohesive, we must give people the stability to put down roots.

That is why the Act’s core promises - to end no‑fault evictions and strengthen security of tenure by preventing backdoor evictions through unreasonable rent increases - are essential.

Just think, free of the constant threat of sudden eviction, households are now liberated to invest time and energy into their community. No longer will renters have to plan their lives around the renewal date of their rental agreement.

Reasonable, predictable rent rules don’t just stabilise household budgets. They secure social bonds and heighten resilience and togetherness in neighbourhoods. Belonging begins with knowing you can stay.

Similarly, extending the Decent Homes Standard and “Awaab’s Law” to the private rented sector sets a basic floor of dignity. Homes unfit for habitation corrode health and trust.

Clear standards and timely repairs give renters permission to take pride in where they live, and must be carried out despite the varying quality and standards of the UK’s existing housing stock.

The Bill, of course, had its critics, with many arguing that the tighter rules unreasonably tip the scales in favour of tenants at the expense of landlords.

There are concerns, for example, that the Act makes long-term letting less attractive to landlords, who face smaller rental incomes and greater challenges in managing unruly tenants.

Yet in my view, the benefits to both tenants and communities far outweigh this. As I’ve set out, renters feel a diminished sense of connection with their neighbourhood, community, and country.

At a time when social cohesion is being tested, this new law could act as a targeted measure to foster belonging and community cohesion across the UK by helping people establish roots.

I hope that with more secure roots, renters will feel they have a more tangible stake in society, just as homeowners do. I believe this will ground them in a sense of belonging, and local areas will foster a greater sense of togetherness, support, and inclusion.

____________________

Kim Samuel is Founder of the Belonging Forum.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk