The Renters’ Rights Act has now come into force from 1st May 2026

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Next Steps

Next Steps

Collaboration between housing and health services as well as with landlords is essential to improving wellbeing and reducing harm. This report concludes with a few recommendations for continuing the work that has begun across Suffolk.

Promote professionalism and good practice across the sector

  • Continue to work closely with sector representatives to support landlords through the forthcoming changes, helping them to understand their responsibilities
  • Share learning with landlords about ‘what works’, helping them to understand the experience of tenants, and share examples of good practice
  • Ensure enforcement of new legislation is proportionate, transparent, and focused on tackling poor practice
  • Develop a culture of excellence and pride in Suffolk’s private rented sector

Review advice and support pathways

  • Ensure tenants are aware of what the Renters Rights Bill means for them and the support that is available for them to exercise new and existing rights
  • Develop accessible, non-judgemental advice services for tenants, particularly taking account of how stressful life events have long term impact on housing health and well-being
  • Review the potential and consider the practical promotion and delivery of housing adaptations and Disabled Facilities Grants in the private rented sector
  • Continue to work, in a sustained way, with communities where housing hardship is the most acute

Support the development of effective collaboration on health and housing

  • Build the capacity of the Suffolk Health and Housing Partnership to coordinate cross-sector responses and share best practice by ensuring it is properly resourced
  • Make health and housing a central consideration in local NHS and council reorganisation, strengthening collaboration across the whole of Suffolk
  • Ensure collaboration for health and wellbeing covers all aspects of housing – from the impact on individuals and communities to planning new homes
  • Promote joined up working between council departments to reduce duplication and improve outcomes for tenants and landlords.
  • Develop shared measures to monitor housing-related wellbeing, tracking the impact of legislative changes, and evaluating the effectiveness of services

Continue to learn from firsthand knowledge

  • Build practical knowledge of the impact of the Renters Rights Act
  • Learn from the interactions of residents and landlords with services and with the voluntary, community, and advice and sectors to shape new ways of offering support
  • Use case studies to understand what is most important and share knowledge
  • Encourage peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange between landlords, tenants, and service providers to foster mutual understanding and practical problem-solving

Advocate for more decent quality, affordable, and secure housing

  • Ensure that the hidden needs of those subject to poor conditions and inappropriate housing in the PRS are taken account of in planning new affordable housing
  • Consider the needs of older tenants who are looking for stability and security as they age, while also taking account of how home is about identity and not just bricks and mortar
  • Consider the needs of disabled tenants whose needs may change over time
  • Consider the impact on families of insecurity, including the impact of staying in properties past the end of notice requiring them to leave

Assumptions about the private rented sector often simplify an evolving part of the housing system. The lived experiences of tenants and landlords reveal a more intricate and human story which illustrates how central housing is to health, identity, and opportunity. As Suffolk adapts to new legislation and changing needs, the challenge is not only compliance, but building a culture of ambitious standards, respect, empathy, and shared responsibility.

Health and Housing Research

Health and Housing Research

Safe Suffolk Renters was one of nine national Pathfinder projects funded by the UK government between April 2023 and March 2025.

Case Study - The importance of identity to home and wellbeing

Case Studies

Our research collected more detailed information on key themes which are illustrated with case studies.