The Government has stated that upward-only rent reviews “pit landlords against businesses and can make rents unaffordable and cause shops to shut”. It further claims that the reform is intended to “keep small businesses running, boost local economies and job opportunities, as well as ending the blight of vacant high streets and the unacceptable anti-social behaviour that comes with them”.

The Government has stated that the reform aims to ensure rent review mechanisms reflect market conditions rather than artificially restricting rents to upward-only movements. However, it remains unclear whether any market analysis has been conducted to assess the potential impact of this reform and, whether it could have adverse consequences for both landlords and tenants.