Renters Rights Act Explained: New Rules for Landlords and Tenants

No-fault evictions are about to end in England. From 1 May 2026, the Renters Rights Act will strip landlords of the right to remove tenants without reason, abolish fixed-term tenancies and impose new rules on how rents are set and increased. It is the biggest shake-up of the private rental market since 1988, affecting some 11 million tenants and hundreds of thousands of landlords. The legislation received royal assent in October 2025, and the clock is now ticking.

The End of No-Fault Evictions

The abolition of Section 21 is the headline act of the legislation, and housing campaigners have long argued it was overdue. No-fault evictions have been cited as a leading driver of homelessness, leaving tenants vulnerable regardless of how reliably they paid rent or how well they maintained a property.

Under the new rules, landlords will only be able to seek possession by serving a Section 8 notice and demonstrating a valid legal ground. Those grounds include wanting to sell the property, moving a family member in, or addressing serious rent arrears or antisocial behaviour. The threshold for rent arrears has been raised to three months, and the minimum notice period before eviction proceedings has been extended to four weeks, double the current requirement.

The shift places a greater burden of proof on landlords, but the government insists it also provides clarity. Legitimate reasons for repossession remain available. What disappears is the ability to remove a tenant on a whim.

How the Renters Rights Act Changes Tenancy Structures

Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies, the backbone of the private rented sector for decades, will be abolished. In their place, all tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies, rolling from month to month with no fixed end date. Tenants can leave by giving two months’ notice, providing flexibility that many currently lack.

For landlords, this means an end to the certainty of a six or twelve-month contract. It also means that tenancy agreements will need to be redrawn. From 1 May 2026, landlords must provide tenants with prescribed information about the tenancy in writing before the agreement is signed. Failure to comply risks penalties of up to £7,000 for a single breach, rising to £40,000 if the offence continues beyond 28 days.

The Renters Rights Act also bans so-called rental bidding wars. Landlords and agents must advertise a specific asking rent and are prohibited from accepting or encouraging offers above that figure. It is a provision designed to cool the overheated market conditions that have seen, according to Rightmove, an average of 17 households competing for each listed rental property.

What the Renters Rights Act Means for Rent Increases

Annual rent increases will be limited to one per year and must be initiated through a formal Section 13 notice, with at least two months’ warning. Increases must reflect the going market rate, and tenants who believe the proposed figure is excessive will be able to challenge it before a tribunal. The context matters: in the year to July 2024, average private rents in England rose 8.6%, while in London the figure hit 9.7%.

The government has also signalled plans to establish a new body tasked with making initial determinations on whether a proposed rent increase falls within market norms, though a timeline for that mechanism has not yet been confirmed.

For tenants, this brings welcome predictability. For landlords, it demands a more disciplined approach to pricing, grounded in evidence rather than aspiration.

Pets, Discrimination and the Decent Homes Standard

The Renters Rights Act introduces a right for tenants to request permission to keep a pet in their home. Landlords must consider the request within a set timeframe and provide a valid reason if they choose to refuse. Unreasonable blanket bans are no longer permissible.

The legislation also tackles discrimination. Landlords and agents will be prohibited from refusing to let to tenants on the basis that they have children or receive benefits. This includes indirect discrimination, such as withholding information about a property’s availability or preventing viewings.

Looking further ahead, the Act extends Awaab’s Law to the private sector, requiring landlords to address hazards such as damp and mould within prescribed timeframes. A Decent Homes Standard for private rentals and a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman are also planned for later phases of implementation, giving tenants a route to resolve disputes without the cost and complexity of going to court.

A National Landlord Database Under the Renters Rights Act

One of the more ambitious elements of the reforms is the creation of a national database of landlords and rental properties. Set to be rolled out by area from late 2026, the register will allow tenants to verify their landlord’s identity and check that a property is properly registered. For landlords, registration will be mandatory.

The database is intended to serve as a single point of reference for compliance, helping landlords understand their obligations while giving councils a clearer picture of the properties in their area. Local authorities will also receive enhanced enforcement powers under the Act, though questions remain about how well prepared councils are to take on their expanded role.

How the Renters Rights Act Affects Letting Agents

Letting agents sit at the sharp end of these reforms. Every change to tenancy structures, eviction processes, rent increase procedures and anti-discrimination rules flows directly through their operations. Agents who manage properties on behalf of landlords will need to ensure full compliance or risk exposing their clients to financial penalties.

The administrative burden is considerable. New tenancy agreement templates must be prepared. Prescribed information documents need to be issued. The government’s official Information Sheet must be provided to every existing tenant by 31 May 2026. Advertising practices must be updated to comply with the rental bidding ban. And record-keeping must be robust enough to demonstrate compliance at every stage.

This is where technology can play a meaningful role. Property management platforms, automated compliance workflows and digital document management systems can help agents stay on top of the new requirements without drowning in paperwork. Firms that invest in the right tools now will be far better positioned to navigate the transition smoothly and offer genuine value to landlord clients who are understandably anxious about what lies ahead.

What Happens Next

The Renters Rights Act will be implemented in phases. The headline changes, including the abolition of Section 21, the shift to periodic tenancies, the rental bidding ban and the new rules on discrimination, all come into force on 1 May 2026. The national database, the ombudsman and the Decent Homes Standard will follow in subsequent stages, with dates still to be confirmed.

For tenants, the message is relatively straightforward: stronger protections are on the way, and the government has committed to publishing detailed guidance before the changes take effect.

For landlords, the message is equally clear, if less comfortable. The era of no-fault evictions and minimal obligations is ending. Compliance is no longer optional, and the cost of getting it wrong has never been higher. Those who prepare early, seek professional advice and embrace the new framework will find that the Renters Rights Act, for all its demands, also brings a measure of certainty to a sector that has long operated in regulatory grey areas.

The rental market is changing. The only real question is whether you are ready for it.