Landlords that rent to students normally offer a 12-month fixed term contract, one that matches their academic year. This ensures that their properties are not left empty outside of term time. However, the Renters Reform Bill has just been introduced to Parliament which plans to abolish fixed-term tenancies in England. This bill also plans to scrap “no fault evictions”, this means that landlords will only be able to evict tenants under certain circumstances. For example, if a landlord is selling the property. This means that all fixed term tenancies will be replaced with a rolling tenancy which means there is no fixed end date and rent is paid monthly or weekly. This change also means that tenants will only need to give two months’ notice to leave a property. Some landlords have stressed that landlords would not be able to guarantee that their properties would be available the following year and if a student left the tenancy early, this could lead to a loss of income if the property is left empty. Universities UK, that represents the sector, has also raised concerns on abolishing fixed term tenancies for students as it could undermine the stability of the sector and it could also reduce the amount of accommodation available to students. A landlord who rents her properties to students, Ms Black has said that she would consider selling her properties if the Bill is not resolved. The bill has not yet been debated by MPs and peers yet and some changes could be made before it is made law in England. It is said that the government is looking at making changes to the bill to make it easier for landlords to let out to students. Blog by Elisee Ricketts Newbold Solicitors [May 2023] The above does not constitute legal advice and any advice should be given by a solicitor taking into consideration your particular circumstances and changes in legislation.