As a new session of Parliament begins, the government has renewed its commitment to create a fairer rental market. As well as plans to abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions - first announced in 2019, the latest version of the Renters Reform Bill looks likely to introduce a landlord register.

Generation Rent and members of the Renters Reform Coalition handed a letter into 10 Downing Street today to urge Boris Johnson to end unfair evictions for good in 2022 and announce a Renters’ Reform Bill in next Tuesday’s Queens Speech.

Today (6th May), Scotland will elect 129 members of the Scottish Parliament. We have published a manifesto here.

Today (6th May) voters in Wales will elect 60 members of the Welsh Parliament (Senedd). We have published a manifesto here.

What we're demanding

Renting in Wales needs to be safer, fairer and more secure. Welsh renters can still be evicted for no reason, they need more stability and an end to Section 21 'no fault' evictions. There also needs to be tougher penalties for landlords who break the law. Wales now has a national register of landlords, however, there are still improvements that could be made to protect renters from criminals. Renters in Wales remain vulnerable to rent increases. Even though these can technically be challenged through the Rent Assessment Committee, only three did this in 2019/20. This must change.

As Scotland goes to the polls on Thursday 6 May, we have published our manifesto of policies the next government in Holyrood must adopt to create a fairer rental market.

In recent years Scottish renters have gained a number of new protections, which are currently denied to private tenants in England and Wales. Landlords can no longer evict tenants without a reason, which provides some security, but tenants are still vulnerable to unaffordable rent increases and loopholes that allow landlords ways around this legislation.

The Government has failed to bring in measures that would end the Rent Debt Crisis. The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, set aside no additional funding in yesterday's Budget to pay off rent arrears accrued under the pandemic, or to increase Local Housing Allowance to cover actual rents. 

Last night, Boris Johnson won a landslide victory. He must take this opportunity to end the renting crisis.

Tomorrow is polling day! Before you cast your vote, here's a round up of the policies from each party's manifesto on the issues we've been campaigning on since the last election

We've looked at what the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the DUP and the Brexit Party - parties that are only standing in parts of the UK - have to offer renters. 

Three of these parties are only standing in nations where housing issues are devolved, so they understandably have less interest in housing at this election, but there are some issues - like housing benefit - that are decided by Westminster for the whole of the UK.

In the final instalment of our manifesto reviews, we take a look at what the Conservative Party has to offer private renters.