The Renters’ Rights Act introduces significant changes for private landlords in England.Understand the reforms, review your responsibilities and speak to our team about preparing your rental property.
Find out how this important change to legislation affects your day-to-day activities and how we can help.
Understand how tenancy arrangements and possession processes have changed.
Review the requirements that apply to your property and tenancy.
Stay informed about future phases and compliance deadlines.
From the removal of Section 21 to mandatory property registration, being on top of these changes is crucial. Fines for non-compliance are now bigger than ever. Get peace of mind by having your portfolio audited – helping you remain compliant while maximising your rental returns.
A simple overview of some of the most important reforms affecting private landlords in England.
Fixed-term tenancies have been replaced by rolling periodic tenancies, giving tenants greater flexibility to move while providing landlords with a clearer framework.
Landlords can no longer use Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. Possession now requires a valid legal ground, such as selling the property or moving in.
Landlords can increase rent only once a year, using the statutory notice procedure. Tenants can challenge increases they believe exceed market rates.
Landlords and agents must advertise an asking rent and cannot invite, encourage or accept offers above that amount, creating a fairer rental market.
Tenants have stronger rights to request pets, while landlords face restrictions on refusing applicants because they have children or receive benefits.
On 1st May 2026, the first raft of measures in the Renters’ Rights Act came into force in England, with more on the way. These changes have been introduced to provide tenants with greater security of tenure and improved rights.
The common minimum six or 12-month commitments have disappeared, and tenants are able to give two months’ notice at any point. It is mandatory to have written terms, so if you don’t currently have a physical tenancy agreement, you will need to issue these by 31st May.
Landlords have lost the ability to give a tenant two months’ notice without giving a reason. The only legal way to end a tenancy is to issue a Section 8 notice stating a valid ground.
If you evict a tenant using ground 1A because you wish to sell, this cannot be used within the first 12 months of a tenancy, and you cannot re-let the property within 12 months of the expiry of the notice. So, if you might want or need to sell at some point, this will require more careful planning.
Landlords face stricter notice periods and clearer grounds for possession now. With the revised rent arrears ground (8) requiring the tenant to be 3 months in arrears before notice can be given, and the notice period doubling from 2 weeks to 4 weeks, it is going to take longer to evict a non-paying tenant, so you may want to increase your cash reserves.
In January 2026, the government published a policy statement creating a single, modern quality benchmark for both the social and private rented sectors, which will be enforced for the PRS by 2035. There will be stronger rules on damp, mould, and insulation, and increased penalties for non-compliance.
Landlords are no longer able to have blanket bans on tenants with children or in receipt of benefits. It is also illegal to accept a higher rent than the amount advertised and to encourage ‘bidding wars’ between tenants.
Landlords can’t refuse pets without a valid reason but do be aware that there are still reasons, such as the type of property being too small or unsuitable for the type of pet. Pet damage insurance has become a permitted payment under the Tenant Fees Act, so you can ask your tenant to either take it out themselves or cover your costs but note that there is no legal obligation on them to pay.
Landlords across England will be required to register their rental properties through this new service. Registration will be a legal requirement, with fines for landlords who fail to comply.
It will launch on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and rolling out to other areas over the following 12 months.
When an area is called forward to register, landlords with properties in that region will have a three-month period to sign up.
All landlords actively letting property will need to have registered by 14 November 2027.
The maximum civil penalty a local authority can fine a landlord has increased from £30,000 to £40,000. Councils can issue civil penalties for illegal evictions; they no longer have to go to court. The maximum Rent Repayment Order amount has doubled, from 12 to 24 months’ rent.
Landlords can only legally increase the rent once every 12 months to a fair market rate by issuing a Section 13 notice and giving the tenant two months’ notice. Any rent increases written into existing tenancy agreements are no longer valid.
With the financial consequences of breaking lettings regulations now much more serious, it’s more important than ever to make sure your property, tenancy and management processes are compliant.
If you would like to get your portfolio audited to check everything is compliant, get in touch.
The reforms are being introduced in phases, so landlords should keep their processes under review.
Key tenancy reforms came into force, including periodic tenancies, the end of Section 21 and new rules around rents, bidding and discrimination.
Further measures, including rollout of the Private Rented Sector Database, are expected to be introduced in stages.
Additional requirements will continue to follow, so landlords should keep checking current guidance and review their processes regularly.
The Renters’ Rights Act introduces significant reforms to private renting in England, with changes coming into effect in phases.
Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions have been abolished. Landlords must now use a valid legal ground to regain possession of their property.
Yes. Landlords can increase rent once a year, provided they follow the statutory procedure and give the required notice.
The Act introduces mandatory landlord registration, with requirements being phased in according to the government’s implementation timetable.
Our experienced lettings team can help you understand the changes, review your property portfolio and prepare for your new responsibilities.
Whether you need a valuation or want to speak to our team, we’re here to help.
