Activists in Generation Rent are taking at least partial credit for the creation of the Renters Rights Bill, which returns to Parliament next week.

The group is holding a special webinar titled Achieving success: Reflections on the Renters’ Rights Bill Plan. 

As a preview for the webinar, the activists say: “The Renters’ Rights Bill did not come into effect through thin air. It look years of campaigning from Generation Rent and other organisations to get done. Want to know more about what the Bill means for renters and role we played to get here? Look behind the scenes on Thursday 16th October on our webinar for the details.”

The Bill returns to the Lords on Tuesday as the so-called ‘ping pong’ debate continues, with the Commons and Lords seeking to find common ground over amendments. 

It’s been reported that Baroness Scott will reintroduce an amendment for pet deposits.  Over the summer the government shelved plans to allow landlords in England to require their tenants to take out special insurance if they own pets. It claimed that appropriate insurance products may not become widely available in time for the Bill becoming law – expected later this month.

And another peer, Lord Young, will reintroduce a Conservative amendment to exempt shared owners from the 12-month re-letting and re-marketing restriction contained in the Bill. This would enable landlords with shared leases to re-let the property if the sale falls through. The government has opposed this in the past, saying it would be detrimental to tenants renting from a shared owner.

The self-congratulatory webinar from Generation Rent is part of a week of campaigning to heighten tenants’ awareness of their rights, especially those that will be enhanced when the Bill becomes law. 

Other webinars cover repairs, with a preview saying: “It’s hard trying to make a house a home when there is damp, disrepair – and worse – that your landlord refuses to take care of. Luckily, the Renters’ Rights Bill will try to push our landlords into making our homes a safer place to live.”

Another covers the controversial Rent Repayment Orders, with the preview from activists saying: “Did you know that if your home needs a licence but your landlord hasn’t applied for one, you could get a whole year of your rent back? If you live in a house share of five or more people this could be extremely valuable information.”