The Renters' Rights Act 2025: Transforming England’s private rental sector
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 reshapes England’s private rental sector, strengthening tenant rights and raising property standards.
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Considerations for landlords and tenants following the new regulations to the use class system introduced earlier this month.
Property|03 September 2020
Insight
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on Tuesday 01 September 2020, making several changes to the previous use class system, including the introduction of three new use classes in England as follows:
These changes have provided greater flexibility in the market aimed at reviving the high street by streamlining the planning process. For example, changes between many of the uses in the new Class E would have historically required planning permission to be obtained, but this is no longer the case.
Care will need to be taken by landlords and tenants alike when using or leasing out property to make sure that any new leasehold interest makes references to these new classes. However, if this new-found flexibility is not agreed under the terms of the lease, the parties will need to make sure that the lease defines the use (eg. as retail) rather than by reference to the use class alone.
Despite this streamlining process, occupiers will need to note that several other previously defined uses have, however, now become part of the sui generis class, including but not limited to, hot food takeaways, venues for live music, cinemas, concert halls and bingo halls. Changes to these uses will still need to go through planning as before.
Please note, the information included in this update is correct at the date of publishing.
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For further information and support with the changes to use classes, contact us on 0121 716 8042 or complete the form below.
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