Renters Rights Act: What Every Landlord Must Know
The private rented sector in England is going through its biggest shake-up in decades. From 1 May 2026, the Renters Rights Act 2025 changes the rules for every landlord with an assured shorthold tenancy. Whether you own one property or twenty, the new law affects you directly.
This guide breaks down the key changes, what they mean in practice, and the steps you should take now.
What Is the Renters Rights Act and Why Does It Matter to Landlords?
The Renters Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2024. Built on Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledges, the legislation aims to create a fairer private rented sector for both tenants and landlords. Its headline purpose is to give England’s 11 million renters greater stability, stronger rights, and clearer protections.
For landlords, the Act rewrites the rules around evictions, rent increases, tenancy types, and property standards. Ignoring these changes is not an option. Fines for non-compliance can reach £7,000 for initial breaches and £40,000 for repeat offences.
The End of Fixed-Term Tenancies
One of the most fundamental shifts under the Renters Rights Act is the abolition of fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs). Going forward, all tenancies will become Assured Periodic Tenancies, rolling month-to-month agreements with no fixed end date.
This applies to both new and existing tenancies from 1 May 2026. Company lets and rental agreements above £100,000 per year are excluded.
Tenants can end their tenancy at any point by giving two months’ written notice. Landlords, however, can only end a tenancy using one of the legal grounds set out in the Act.
Section 21 Evictions Are Abolished: What Landlords Need to Know About Section 8
The most talked-about change is the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. From 1 May 2026, landlords will no longer be able to serve a Section 21 notice to regain possession of their property without giving a reason.
How Does the Renters Rights Act Change Eviction Grounds for Landlords?
Instead of Section 21, landlords must use a Section 8 notice and cite a specific legal ground. The Act strengthens and expands these grounds to give landlords more routes to possession where there is genuine cause. These grounds include:
- Rent arrears — including serious or persistent non-payment
- Anti-social behaviour — affecting neighbours or the local community
- Landlord or family member moving in — subject to a 12-month restriction at the start of new tenancies
- Selling the property — again, restricted during the first 12 months
- Agricultural worker housing — extended to cover different employment statuses
- Carer accommodation — a new ground allowing possession where the property is needed for a landlord’s carer or a family member’s carer
Each ground carries its own notice period, so landlords should check the specific requirements carefully before serving a notice.
Important transitional protection: If you serve a valid possession notice before 1 May 2026, you will have up to three months to begin possession proceedings under the old rules.
Rent Increases: New Rules Every Landlord Must Follow
Under the Renters Rights Act, landlords can still raise rents but only once per year, and only through the correct legal route.
What Does the Renters Rights Act Mean for Landlord Rent Reviews?
To increase rent, landlords must serve a Section 13 notice, giving tenants at least two months’ written notice. Any proposed increase must reflect the local market rate, the price the property would achieve if newly advertised. Evidence may be required to support this.
Tenants who believe the increase exceeds the market rate can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. They must do so before the new rent takes effect. Landlords cannot evict a tenant simply for disputing a rent increase.
Any tenancy agreement clauses allowing rent increases by other means, such as rent review clauses, will no longer be enforceable.
Advance Rent and Deposits: Key Restrictions Under the Act
The Act caps the amount landlords and agents can request upfront. Only one month’s rent in advance is permitted. Asking for or accepting more than this is now an offence, and local authorities have the power to issue fines.
For existing tenancy agreements that required rent in advance before the Act commenced, those agreements do not need to be changed. New agreements, however, must comply from the outset.
Pets: A New Right for Tenants
The Renters’ Rights Act gives tenants the legal right to request a pet in writing. Landlords must respond within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. Where additional information is needed, the landlord has one further week to give a written decision after receiving it.
Landlords can still advertise a property as ‘no pets’. Once a tenancy is in place, though, refusal must be based on a legitimate reason — such as head lease restrictions that prohibit animals.
Landlords can now request a pet deposit of up to three weeks’ rent as a condition of consent. This was added during the Lords stages of the Bill and gives landlords a practical safeguard against potential damage.
Anti-Discrimination Rules: Tenant Eligibility
The Act makes it illegal to refuse a tenancy on the grounds that a prospective tenant receives benefits or has children. These protections now apply across England, Scotland, and Wales. Breaching them can result in significant financial penalties.
Landlords and letting agents should review how they screen tenants and ensure no policy, written or informal, could be interpreted as discriminatory on these grounds.
Bidding Wars Are Banned
Rental bidding wars are now a legal offence. Landlords and letting agents must advertise a property at a set price and cannot invite, encourage, or accept offers above that listed rent. Councils have enforcement powers to act where this rule is broken.
The Mandatory Information Sheet: Your Obligation by 31 May 2026
All private landlords with existing tenants must provide the government-issued Mandatory Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. This document explains to tenants how their rights have changed under the Act.
The government published the Information Sheet in March 2026, and you can now give it to existing tenants at any time ahead of the deadline. Failing to provide it can result in a fine of up to £7,000.
Download the official Mandatory Information Sheet directly from GOV.UK
Coming Later in 2026: The PRS Database and Ombudsman
Not every change under the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on 1 May. Two significant reforms are being introduced in phases from late 2026:
What Is the Private Rented Sector Landlord Database?
A new national database will require all landlords to register themselves and their properties in England. The rollout will be gradual, progressing by area. This database is designed to improve transparency and allow local authorities to identify non-compliant landlords more easily.
What Is the Private Landlord Ombudsman?
A new Private Landlord Ombudsman will handle complaints from tenants against landlords without the need for court action. Every private landlord in England will be required to join the scheme. It provides a free, independent resolution service — with binding decisions that landlords must follow.
Future Standards: Decent Homes and Awaab’s Law
The Act also lays the groundwork for further changes that will follow in the coming years:
- Decent Homes Standard — The government consulted on minimum standards for private rented homes. Full implementation is not expected before 2035, but the direction of travel is clear.
- Awaab’s Law — Already applied in social housing, this will extend to the private rented sector and require landlords to investigate and fix health hazards such as damp and mould within strict timescales. A consultation on how to apply this to private rentals is being prepared.
How Orchard Mortgage Solutions Can Help
The Renters’ Rights Act changes the landscape for landlords across England. For many, the new obligations will prompt a review of their property portfolio, financing arrangements, and long-term strategy.
Whether you are considering remortgaging a buy-to-let, reviewing your portfolio structure, or looking at new investment opportunities in the changed market, our team at Orchard Mortgage Solutions is here to help. We offer specialist mortgage advice tailored to landlords navigating a shifting regulatory environment.
Get in touch today to discuss how we can support your property plans in the year ahead.
☎️ Call us today 01257 543013
Or use our contact form
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlords should seek independent legal guidance on how the Renters’ Rights Act applies to their specific circumstances.
