With the (eventual) departure of Boris Johnson, the next question for landlords and indeed much of the property industry is: What’s going to become of the Renters’ Reform Bill?

It may just continue its path through Parliament without significant interruption, under the temporary leadership of new Housing Secretary Greg Clarke. That will at best take many months, perhaps over a year for some provisions, so even if its progress continues there will be little change to the lettings industry in the immediate future.

However, there are three reasons for optimistically hoping for changes to the Bill and the mood music surrounding rentals. In other words, there’s still everything to fight for.,

Firstly, it is possible that a political reshuffle at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities under a new Prime Minister may herald changes ‘from within’ so to speak. 

The only remaining junior minister at the DLUHC at the time of writing is Eddie Hughes, a long-time Boris Johnson supporter; if he remains in post in the long term, the Bill will probably remain unchanged. But if he is replaced, perhaps because Johnson supporters are seen as politically toxic, it is possible that his successor will want to make their own mark. 

They could, of course, be even more pro-tenant and anti-landlord than Michael Gove and his ministers were; but that is extremely unlikely so we must hope that they are less bombastic and more even-handed.

Secondly, there is much political debate that the demise of Johnson – a man whose long term political strategy was based mostly on self publicity and survival, irrespective of philosophy – may herald a return to more traditional Conservative thinking.

This is especially so on fiscal issues, with many potential Tory leadership candidates suggesting that they want a government more obviously pursuing the low tax economy that Conservatives previously supported. 

If that is the case, that party’s long-term relationship with landlords may be up for repair, including a new and more favourable tax settlement for landlords after years of fiscal attack.

Thirdly, there may be a change of tone and language. 

Ex-Housing Secretary Michael Gove has been outspoken in his criticism of landlords in general and his junior ministers, when they were in post, sometimes followed suit. Sticks and stones, and all that, but name-calling and demonising landlords have not helped create the collegiate working relationship with trade bodies that should have been a pre-requisite for radical reforms.

It’s likely that the yobbery of the Johnson government, led from the very top, may now give way to a more grown-up and nuanced debate.

That will require compromises, but those will be from both sides of the debate – not a one-way street as seen recently.

Pie in the sky? Perhaps. But this re-set is a timely opportunity to modify the Rental Reform Bill to create a modern, safe, effective private rental sector and not one shaped solely by the ruling party pandering to campaign groups in order to win tenants’ votes at the next General Election.

* Graham Norwood is editor of Landlord Today *