But Polly Neate, chief executive of the charity Shelter, accused landlords of holding the bill hostage.
She added: “It is outrageous the Government would allow the Renters Reform Bill to be held hostage by a small minority of MPs, many of them landlords, while renters are put through hell.
“With a general election on the horizon, an overt betrayal of England’s 11 million renters will not be forgotten. The Government must show its strength and oppose attempts to destroy or delay the bill from within its own ranks.”
Tom Darling, of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said the bill would help to rebalance the “unequal relationship that results in tenants afraid to ask for basic repairs, stuck in unhealthy homes and unable to put down roots”.
He added: “It is outrageous that landlord MPs – all of whom were elected on a manifesto to deliver these moderate reforms – are now seeking to undermine the legislation.”
MPs from across the House have added amendments to the bill, including a mandatory review of the courts before a ban on no-fault evictions can be introduced.
Another amendment stipulates that landlords cannot use intention to sell or move in with a family member for at least the first two years of a tenancy – currently they only have to wait six months.
One MP added that “the big sticking point” between ministers and backbenchers is rolling tenancies, with the Government refusing to budge on the issue.
He said: “We want an amendment to be added so that if a landlord and tenant both agree to a fixed term, this will be allowed under the bill. Why is it the right of the Government to interfere in a contract between two parties?”
Sir Peter Bottomley MP, a landlord who represents Worthing West, said the legislation would remove support for landlords whose tenants can’t or won’t pay.
He added: “We need to have a system which is good to landlords, so they can provide properties, and good to tenants, so they can have security.
“What would be wrong would be to abandon the private rental sector altogether, and to not support landlords who aren’t paid rent.”
The bill is currently at report stage, and Tory whips are yet to schedule in sessions for amendments to be debated by MPs in the Commons.
Mr Gove has already given ground, agreeing to reform the courts before applying the no-fault eviction ban. However, Mr Norris of the NRLA believes the bill could run out of time and fail.
He said: “If we don’t have a timetable of the remaining stages before Easter, it really is on a knife edge.”
The question then is: what would a Labour government do? Matthew Pennycook, the shadow housing minister, has tabled a handful of amendments to toughen up the bill, including getting rid of no-fault evictions from day one and increasing control over rent increases.
Mr Norris said: “Labour might try to hit the big ticket items early – abolishing section 21 before the courts are ready, for instance.”
