Sadiq Khan is stepping up support for London’s private renters, with a £400,000 enforcement fund designed to help tenants understand new legal protections and take action against
landlords who break the rules.
London’s private renters are set to receive additional support as Mayor Sadiq Khan launches a three-year programme aimed at making the Government’s new Renters’ Rights Act work on the ground across the capital.
The Mayor’s £400,000 Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund will provide financial backing for up to two renters’ organisations, allowing them to offer free advice and practical assistance to tenants facing unlawful or poor treatment by landlords.
The initiative is intended to give Londoners a stronger voice at a time when millions of people across the capital are gaining new legal protections. Tenants dealing with unsafe housing, excessive rent increases, poor maintenance or landlords failing to comply with their legal obligations will be able to seek help from organisations supported by the fund.
The remainder of the funding will be directed towards training council officers. The aim is to ensure local authorities have the expertise and confidence to use their expanded enforcement powers and take action against landlords who repeatedly ignore housing rules.
The programme was first announced by Khan in March as part of a manifesto commitment and comes as the Renters’ Rights Act introduces the most significant strengthening of tenant protections in a generation.
Among the central changes is the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, which have long allowed landlords to ask tenants to leave without providing a specific reason. The reforms are intended to give renters greater security and make it harder for tenants to be pushed out simply for asserting their rights.
For London, where private renting has become a central part of the housing market, the changes are particularly significant. Around 2.7 million people in the capital rent privately, with many households facing high housing costs and limited alternatives.
While the majority of landlords operate within the law, housing campaigners have repeatedly highlighted cases involving damp and unsafe properties, inadequate repairs, excessive rents and tenants reluctant to complain because they fear losing their homes.
The Mayor’s office says the new funding is designed to close the gap between having legal rights and being able to enforce them.
“Rights are only meaningful if renters know how to use them and have somewhere to turn when those rights are ignored,” is the underlying principle of the programme, which combines direct advice for tenants with stronger enforcement by London’s boroughs.
The initiative forms part of Khan’s broader programme on private renting, which includes supporting councils in their efforts to identify and prosecute rogue landlords, helping tenants challenge poor housing practices and increasing the availability of genuinely affordable homes.
For London’s renters, the effectiveness of the new legislation will ultimately depend not only on the protections written into law but on whether tenants can access advice and whether councils have the resources and expertise to enforce them.
The Mayor’s latest investment is intended to strengthen both sides of that equation — giving renters greater confidence to challenge unlawful treatment while giving boroughs additional tools to hold landlords to account.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I will always stand up for London’s renters who deserve to feel secure in their homes and confident that they can challenge rogue landlords when their rights are ignored.
"The Renters’ Rights Act is a game changer for tenants. It gives millions of renters’ stronger rights and greater security. But those rights will only make a difference if people know about them, can use them and have somewhere to go for help.
"That's why I'm investing in organisations that will stand alongside renters, helping them challenge rogue landlords and get justice when their rights are ignored. At the same time, we're making sure councils have the training they need to enforce the new law so that bad landlords face the consequences of breaking the rules.
"Every Londoner deserves a safe, secure and decent home, and this investment will help ensure these new rights for renters are more than words on paper, as we build a safer, fairer London for everyone.”
Susie Dye, Housing programme Lead, Trust for London, said: “We welcome the Mayor’s commitment to ensuring London renters can use their rights under the Renters Rights Act. For too long, renters on low incomes didn’t feel they could complain about expensive, substandard homes. Either they didn’t know they had rights, or they were afraid of being evicted. The Act has at last weighed the scales in their favour, but we need to make sure people know about it. We welcome this funding, which will help those rights become a reality for many Londoners.“
Cllr Anthony Okereke, London Councils' Executive Member for Housing and Homelessness, said: "For too long, too many Londoners have put up with subpar housing conditions due to a lack of rights and protections in the private rented sector. This funding will empower tenants to understand and use their new rights under the Renters' Rights Act, giving them the support they need to challenge bad practice.
"It will also support borough enforcement by providing training to help councils protect tenants' rights and improve housing conditions across the capital. Plans to begin more than 6,000 Living Rent homes for key workers by 2030 are also welcome, helping to ensure the nurses, teachers and transport staff who keep the city running can afford to live in it." Photo by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.
