Across the UK, more and more people are renting in later life. In England alone, there are more than 400,000 privately rented households where someone aged 65 or over lives. We want to make sure that all older people can have a place they love as their home.
However, we regularly hear from people in later life who are having trouble with their housing. That might be because of spiralling rents, poor-quality housing or the constant anxiety of living in an insecure tenancy. We’re campaigning to change that.
What needs to change in the short term?
Currently the UK Government is bringing forward a bill that will change the law around how people rent their homes on the private market in England. It is called the Renters (Reform) Bill. We’ll be campaigning to make sure that new laws can help solve some of the issues we know that older private renters face.
As part of the Renters (Reform) Bill, we want to make sure that no older person is stopped from being able to rent a home because they receive benefits such as Pension Credit or Attendance Allowance. This is called ‘No DSS’ discrimination, and we want to see this made illegal.
We also want to make sure that renters are given more rights when they move into their home, by increasing the notice period that is given before an eviction, and by ensuring that landlords have to wait longer before they can evict their tenants once they’ve moved in.
Read our latest blog about the Renters (Reform) Bill.
How can I support this campaign?
To help bring about these changes, your support makes all the difference. We’re waiting for the UK Government to bring forward the next stage of the Renters (Reform) Bill, so there’s still an opportunity to make sure older renters form part of the conversation about renting in England.
You can add your voice to our campaign by emailing your MP and sending them our latest briefing report – Hidden renters – about what needs to change as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.
If you have an experience of renting – good or bad – that you would like to share, email our campaigns team. We’ll get in touch with you to learn how you’d like your story to be used, and we’ll never use your story without your permission.
What else needs to change?
We know there are lots of other issues seriously affecting older renters, and not all these issues are covered in the current Renters (Reform) Bill before Parliament.
In Hidden renters we look at what renting is like for older people in England. The number of older private renters is growing, and living on a fixed income can cause particular challenges. You can read a summary or download our full report to find out what the UK Government can do to support people in later life who rent privately.
Housing in Scotland
Housing in Scotland is a devolved issue, which means the UK Government isn’t responsible for making laws about housing or renting. Instead, that responsibility lies with the Scottish Government, which has said it plans to announce new laws around housing later in 2023.
You can stay up to date with what’s happening in Scotland by joining our Campaigns Network. As a part of our Campaigns Network, you will receive regular emails about our campaigning activity and how you can make a difference.