Over a quarter (27%) of tenants expect their rent to increase following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill (RRB), Pegasus Insight has found.

The mortgage market firm’s latest Tenant Trends report revealed that 32% of those currently living in a rented property are "fully aware" or "mostly aware" of the details included in the RRB, while 20% are "somewhat aware" and know the main points, but are unclear on further details in the bill.

A further 43% are "slightly aware" or are "not aware at all" of the RRB's contents.

When asked about the potential impact of the bill on them as a renter, Pegasus Insight found that 13% of those surveyed said it would have a "significant positive impact" and 31% said it would have a "slight positive impact".

A further 19% said the RRB would have no impact on them, while 6% said it would have a negative impact.

The firm’s survey revealed that while 66% of tenants intend to stay in the same property once their current tenancy ends, those looking to move cited moving to a new location (32%), moving to a bigger or smaller property (26%) or buying their own home (24%) as their reason for leaving their current property.

One in 10 (10%) are set to move because their landlord is set to end their tenancy, and of that number, 56% said that this was because the landlord planned to sell the property.

A further 22% said their move was a result of rent increases and 16% are moving because their landlord wants to move into the property themselves.

Founder and director at Pegasus Insight, Mark Long, said: "Our latest Tenant Trends research report suggests more needs to be done to educate renters about the new legislation set to be implemented by this Autumn, as a significant proportion of tenants know little to nothing about the imminent changes to their rights.

"In terms of the impact the RRB is likely to have on the market, the 27% of tenants who believe that rents will increase as a result look likely to have their fears borne out. In fact, responding to our landlord survey Q4 2024, 62% of landlords said they will look to recoup potential losses incurred as a result of the new legislation by putting rents up.

"While the Government is holding fast to its claim that the RRB will not force landlords out of the private rented sector, the fact that more than half (56%) of those who have given their tenants notice to quit plan to sell the property, up from 37% a year ago, is surely significant. Again, tenant concerns that the bill will lead to a reduced supply of properties appear well-founded."

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