As the law shifts in favour of renters, Alice Tibbert from Housing Matters shows how organisations across the West of England are coming together so no one is left behind.

In March, more than 250 people gathered in Bristol to talk about a piece of legislation that, on paper, should transform renting in England. The Renters’ Rights Act promises to rebalance a system that has left millions of tenants living with uncertainty, rising costs and limited control over their homes.

But the size of that audience tells its own story. People are not just interested in the law. They want to offer clarity, reassurance and, perhaps most importantly, a sense that someone is speaking to struggling communities in a way that makes sense.

For Alice Tibbert, CEO of Housing Matters Bristol and Chair of advice network ACFA, that moment captured both the urgency of the issue and the opportunity ahead. 

“Insecure housing and homelessness are among the biggest challenges facing our communities right now, and there’s a real appetite for organisations to work together to address this. With the Renters’ Rights Act on the horizon, we knew professionals across housing, health and community sectors were keen to understand what’s coming, build confidence, and support renters and landlords effectively to navigate that change.”

The event itself was about policy, but it was also about bringing it to life for people who stand to benefit.

“The event aimed to break the Act down into practical, accessible information – what it means, how to talk about it confidently, and how to respond to common questions. Importantly, we also provided ready-to-use materials so organisations could take the message back to their communities. The strong turnout reflected both the scale of the issue and a shared desire to be prepared, collaborative and proactive.”

Alice spoke with Quids in! Pro about channelling this shared ambition into a joined-up regional campaign across the West of England and what it will take to ensure renters are aware of their rights and protected against insecure housing. 

Home: A Place to Plan for the Future

At the heart of the Renters’ Rights Act is the long-awaited abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. From May 2026, landlords in England will no longer be able to ask tenants to leave without giving a reason. (Ansons Law) For decades, Section 21 has allowed landlords to issue a notice giving tenants as little as two months to leave, even if they had paid their rent on time and looked after the property. (CourtPilot)

For Alice, its abolition marks a fundamental shift: “This is a genuinely significant shift for renters. In Bristol, they were the second most common reason people approached the council as homeless, a pattern reflected nationally.”

Now landlords will generally have to give four months’ notice. “It gives renters greater stability and breathing space, reducing the constant fear of losing their home through no fault of their own. Crucially, it also creates more opportunity for early intervention and homelessness prevention when issues arise. While challenges remain, this change rebalances power and gives tenants a far stronger foundation to put down roots and plan for the future.”

Alongside this, the Act introduces a package of reforms like rolling tenancies (over fixed-term contracts), limits on rent increases, and measures to tackle bidding wars and excessive upfront costs. (GovExplained) The system should become fairer, more transparent and more secure.

Failing to ENGAGE

One of the most striking insights from the Bristol event, and from frontline work across the sector, is how often renters do not engage with information about their rights, even when it could materially improve their situation. 

Information from the right sources often fails to connect. Alice is clear about the scale of that challenge: “National policy conversations often don’t reach people who most need the information, especially where trust, language or digital access are barriers. Many renters rely on familiar, local spaces – GPs, community centres, local advice agencies – rather than official channels.” 

The Quids in! webinar on Changing the Conversation in March made a simple but powerful argument: If people are switching off, the solution is not more information, but better communication. How we act matters as much as what we say. Who delivers, where people receive it, and how it connects with people’s experiences all count too.

“That frustration is exactly why this regional campaign exists,” Alice explains. “We’re translating national messages into clear, practical resources that trusted grassroots organisations can share directly with their communities. That means materials that are digital and physical, visually engaging, and easy to understand.”

The scale of that effort is already significant. “So far, over 300 organisations across the West of England have signed up to take part, using shared messages and visuals during our awareness week. This scale of collaboration gives the campaign the best chance of cutting through.”

The introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act has created a rare moment of concerted effort.

The Limit of New Limits

At the same time, Alice argues that the Act itself has limits. “Affordability remains the biggest gap. While the Act improves security and fairness, it does not tackle rising rents. There is no specific cap on rent increases, leaving renters exposed to sharp, unaffordable rises, particularly in high-demand areas.”

“The new law makes only minor changes to how renters can challenge rent increases, without addressing the scale of the problem. Although the cap on rent in advance is welcome, guarantor requests remain unlimited, which risks creating new barriers for low-income renters and those on benefits. Affordability assessments and tenant referencing also remain largely unregulated. Security without affordability can only go so far.”

While the Renters’ Rights Act applies to England, its themes resonate across the UK. Housing policy is devolved, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate under different systems. The underlying pressures like rising costs, insecure tenancies, and barriers to accessing support, however, are widely shared.

For Quids in! Pro members, fighting hardship and poverty across the UK, the relevance of the Act goes beyond geography. It raises a broader question: How do we ensure people understand and can act on their rights, wherever they live?

From Awareness to Action

For renters, action might mean challenging an unfair rent increase, seeking advice, or simply feeling confident enough to ask questions. For professionals, it means knowing where to direct people. 

Alice points to a combination of local and national support: “If you’re in the West of England (although it definitely works more broadly), our campaign website, we-rent.org.uk, is a great starting point. It offers clear, accessible answers to common questions for both renters and landlords, alongside practical guidance on what the Renters’ Rights Act means in everyday situations.”

“Importantly, it also signposts people to trusted national organisations for more detailed advice and specialist support.” The full government guidance for tenants is also available here.

The lesson from Bristol is clear: If we speak in ways that resonate, we can re-engage people who have lost faith in the system and give them the knowledge and confidence to understand and stand up for their rights. Changing the law is important. Changing the conversation is what makes those rights count. 

The We-Rent campaign launches on 27 April, running through to 1 May as the Act comes into effect. If you’re based in the West of England, you can get involved at we-rent.org.uk/partners/. Scroll down to find the social media toolkit.