The Renters’ Reform Bill: A False Dawn For Tenants in Cheltenham.

Gary Clarke

— 1 min read

Let’s be clear. The Renters’ Reform Bill is not the win some are claiming. It’s a compromise dressed up as progress, a deal stitched together to keep landlords happy while offering tenants crumbs.

The Eviction Loophole They Don’t Want You to See

They say “no-fault evictions” are gone. They’re not. Landlords can still turf you out—just with different excuses. “Selling up.” “Moving in family.” “Renovations.” The result? Same insecurity, new label.

Four months’ notice? That’s not protection. That’s four months of stress, four months of scrambling in a market where rents keep rising. This isn’t reform. It’s eviction drawn out, with a softer landing.

Affordability? A Hollow Promise

The Bill does nothing to stop rents soaring. In Cheltenham, tenants are paying 40% or more of their income just to keep a roof overhead. 40%. That’s not sustainable—it’s economic violence.

And what does the Bill do? Lets landlords reject tenants for “unaffordability” but refuses to define what that means. Why? Because defining it would expose the truth: rents are out of control, and the system remains rigged in favour of landlords and letting agents.

The Fight Must Continue

This Bill is a start—but only if we force it to mean something. Cheltenham Borough Council must enforce it properly. Landlords must feel the pressure. And we—the 35% of Cheltenham who rent (almost 40,000 people in 20,000 rented homes)—must make ourselves impossible to ignore.

What We Do Next

  1. Come Together 
    • Our strength is in building our numbers
    • Sign up to the newsletter now at www.cheltenham-tenant-union.com
    • Every new subscribed reader builds our power to make them listen.

Share this article on your social media accounts

  • Facebook. Nextdoor. WhatsApp. Everywhere.
  • The more people know, the harder we hit.
  1. Act Together 
    • Lobby your councillor to enforce the rules. Demand they:
      • Crack down on dodgy evictions.
      • Pursue rogue landlords.
      • Stop treating tenants as second-class citizens.
    • They’ll only move if we make them.
  2. DONATE
    • We need to get our message beyond the internet
    • We need to reach every rented home in Cheltenham by post
    • £500 prints 5,000 leaflets. 
    • Chip in what you can—every pound powers this fight.
    • https://buymeacoffee.com/cheltenhamtenantunion

This Isn’t Over

The landlord lobby has money. We have numbers. 35% of Cheltenham is us. If we organise, if we fight, we win.

Sign up. Share. Donate. Fight.

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