“There can be no more dither and delay — we must overhaul renting and rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord

“Renters have been let down for too long and too many are stuck in disgraceful conditions, powerless to act because of the threat of a retaliatory eviction hanging over them,” said deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

“Most landlords act in a responsible way but a small number of unscrupulous ones are tarnishing the reputation of the whole sector by making the most of the housing crisis and forcing tenants into bidding wars.

“There can be no more dither and delay — we must overhaul renting and rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord.

“This bill will do just that and tenants can be reassured this government will protect them.”