The Renters’ Rights Act 2025: A Landlord’s Guide

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to private renting in England in nearly 40 years. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and the main provisions take effect on 1 May 2026. From that date, the way landlords let, manage and end tenancies will work very differently. This page sets out what changes, when, and what landlords need to do.

At a glance

• Section 21 abolished — landlords can no longer evict without giving a reason. Last day to serve a Section 21 notice is 30 April 2026.
• Assured shorthold tenancies abolished — all tenancies become open-ended assured periodic tenancies. Fixed terms are no longer permitted.
• Existing tenancies convert automatically on 1 May 2026 — landlords do not need to issue new agreements, but they must give existing tenants a government Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
• Possession is now grounds-based — landlords must use Section 8 with one of 37 statutory grounds in the revised Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988.
• Rent increases tightened — the only legal mechanism is a Section 13 notice (Form 4) once a year, with two months’ notice. Tenants can challenge at the First-tier Tribunal.
• Rent in advance capped — landlords can require a maximum of one month’s rent in advance, and only after the tenancy is signed.
• Tenants gain new rights — to request a pet (which the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse), and protection from discrimination on the basis of children or receipt of benefits. Rental bidding is banned.

What is the Renters’ Rights Act 2025?

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is an Act of Parliament that overhauls the legal framework for private renting in England. It amends the Housing Act 1988 — the foundational statute that has governed assured tenancies since 1989 — and introduces new rules on tenancy structure, possession, rent, and tenant protections.

The Act follows the previous government’s failed Renters (Reform) Bill, which fell at the 2024 general election. The Labour government reintroduced and expanded the legislation as the Renters’ Rights Bill in September 2024. After more than a year in Parliament, it received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and is now the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (c. 26).

The Act applies to private rented sector tenancies in England only. It does not apply in Wales (which has its own regime under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016), in Scotland, or in Northern Ireland. Social housing tenancies are temporarily out of scope, with implementation in that sector expected from 2027.

Key dates

Date	What happens
27 October 2025	Royal Assent. Act becomes law but most provisions remain dormant.
27 December 2025	First phase. Local authorities gain new investigation and enforcement powers.
30 April 2026	Last day to serve a valid Section 21 notice (must be served before 4:30 pm).
1 May 2026	“Big bang” commencement. Tenancy reforms take effect. ASTs abolished. All tenancies become assured periodic. Section 21 abolished going forward.
31 May 2026	Deadline for landlords with existing tenancies to provide tenants with the government Information Sheet.
31 July 2026	Final deadline to issue court proceedings on a Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 (or the earlier of 6 months from notice date).
Late 2026	Phase 2 begins: regional rollout of the PRS Database (mandatory landlord registration).
2027–2028	Full PRS Database rollout. PRS Landlord Ombudsman launches.
Post-2028	Phase 3: extension of the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. Subject to consultation.

What changes from 1 May 2026

1. Tenancies become assured periodic

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) are abolished. From 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy is an open-ended assured periodic tenancy with a rent period of one month or less. Fixed-term tenancies — six-month, twelve-month or otherwise — can no longer exist in the private rented sector. Any clause in a tenancy agreement that purports to create a fixed term, or that requires the tenant to give more than two months’ notice, is void.

Existing tenancies convert automatically. A landlord with a fixed-term AST in place on 30 April 2026 does not need to issue a new agreement — the tenancy continues as an assured periodic tenancy from 1 May. The original written agreement remains valid except where its provisions are now void (such as the fixed term, rent review clauses, or break options).

2. Section 21 abolished

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 — the “no-fault” eviction route — is abolished from 1 May 2026. Landlords can no longer end a tenancy without giving a reason.

The accelerated possession procedure that supported Section 21 claims is also retired. From 1 May 2026, every residential possession claim requires a court hearing under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.

Transitional rules for existing Section 21 notices

• A Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 remains valid.
• The landlord must issue a possession claim at court by the earlier of: (a) six months from the notice date, or (b) 31 July 2026.
• If the claim is not issued by that deadline, the notice lapses and is unenforceable. The landlord must start again under Section 8.

3. Possession via Section 8 only

The only route to possession under the new regime is Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, supported by one or more of 37 statutory grounds set out in a revised Schedule 2. The list expands considerably — there were previously 17 grounds — adding new mandatory grounds for landlords who want to sell the property or move close family in.

The most important amendments to existing grounds include:

• Ground 8 (rent arrears, mandatory): threshold raised from two months’ arrears to three months; notice period extended from two weeks to four weeks. Universal Credit housing element delays are excluded from the calculation.
• Ground 1 (landlord or family occupation, mandatory): extended to include parents, grandparents, siblings, children and grandchildren (previously limited to spouse or civil partner). Cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. Notice period: four months.
• Ground 1A (sale of property, mandatory — new): landlord intends to sell. Cannot be used in the first 12 months. Notice period: four months. Property cannot be re-let or marketed for re-letting for 12 months from the date specified in the notice.
• Ground 4A (student HMO, mandatory — new): HMO let to full-time students, in line with the academic year. Notice period: four months (with a transitional two-month notice period for the 2026/27 academic year only).
• Ground 6 (redevelopment, mandatory): amended to require the landlord to have acquired their interest in the property before the start of the tenancy.
• Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour, discretionary): expanded to include behaviour that is “capable of causing” nuisance or annoyance, broadening the threshold.

For a complete list of grounds and their notice periods, see our guide to Section 8 notices.

4. Written statement of terms required

For tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026, landlords must provide tenants with a written statement of terms before the tenancy is entered into. This can be a standalone document or built into the tenancy agreement itself. The required content is set out in secondary legislation; broadly, it covers the parties, the property, the rent, the rent period, deposit details, contact information, and the key statutory rights of the tenant.

For existing tenancies on 1 May 2026, landlords have until 31 May 2026 to provide tenants with the government’s Information Sheet (a separate document explaining the changes brought by the Act). Failure to comply can lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000 imposed by the local authority.

Where the existing tenancy was made verbally, the landlord must provide a written summary of the main terms in addition to the Information Sheet, by the same 31 May deadline.

5. Rent in advance: capped at one month

From 1 May 2026, landlords cannot accept or invite payment of rent before the tenancy is signed. After signing, landlords may require a maximum of one month’s rent in advance (or 28 days for shorter rent periods). Any clause requiring rent further in advance during the tenancy is void.

Tenancies entered into before 1 May 2026 are not affected. Existing arrangements requiring six or twelve months’ rent in advance can continue under the original terms.

6. Rent increases via Section 13 only

The only legal way to raise the rent on a tenancy is to serve a Section 13 notice on prescribed Form 4. Contractual rent review clauses are void from 1 May 2026.

• The notice period is two months (up from one month).
• The rent can be increased once every 52 weeks.
• The first increase cannot take effect until at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began.
• The tenant has the right to challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which can determine the open-market rent.

For step-by-step guidance on serving a valid Section 13 notice, see our rent increase guide.

7. Pet rights

Tenants gain a statutory right to request consent to keep a pet. The landlord must respond in writing within four weeks and cannot unreasonably refuse. What counts as reasonable is judged on a case-by-case basis — relevant factors include the type of pet, the nature of the property, and any superior lease that prohibits pets in the building.

Blanket “no pets” clauses in tenancy agreements are no longer enforceable. Landlords can require pet damage insurance to cover potential damage.

8. Anti-discrimination provisions

Landlords and letting agents cannot discriminate against prospective tenants because they have children or because they receive benefits (including Universal Credit and Housing Benefit). “No DSS” or “no children” advertising is prohibited, and refusing to enter into a tenancy on these grounds is unlawful.

9. Rental bidding wars banned

Landlords and agents must publish a stated rent and cannot accept offers above that rent, nor invite or encourage bidding. The advertised rent becomes a ceiling, not a starting point.

What landlords need to do before 1 May 2026

1. Audit existing tenancies. Identify which tenancies will continue after 1 May 2026 and review whether possession action under the old regime is needed and feasible before then.
2. Consider rent reviews now. Any rent review served before 1 May 2026 under the existing regime remains valid. After commencement, only Section 13 with two months’ notice will work.
3. Diarise the 31 May Information Sheet deadline. Plan how to deliver the government Information Sheet to every existing tenant — and capture proof of delivery, since enforcement is a £7,000 civil penalty per tenancy.
4. Update tenancy templates. From 1 May 2026, agreements cannot include fixed terms, rent review clauses, blanket pet bans, or rent-in-advance provisions exceeding one month. Existing templates need rewriting.
5. Review referencing and advertising practices. Anti-discrimination provisions kick in on 1 May. “No DSS” and “no children” must come out of all listings and tenant criteria.
6. Plan for the PRS Database. Mandatory registration is coming in late 2026 onwards. Make sure gas safety, electrical safety, EPC and deposit protection records are up-to-date and accessible.
7. Train letting agents and managers. Anyone managing tenancies on a landlord’s behalf needs to be briefed before commencement.

Phase 2 and Phase 3: what’s still to come

The Act will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 — described above — is the major commencement on 1 May 2026.

Phase 2 — late 2026 onwards

• Private Rented Sector Database. A central register of private landlords and their properties. Registration will be mandatory and rolled out region-by-region from late 2026, with a fee. Failure to register prevents a landlord from serving a valid possession notice.
• PRS Landlord Ombudsman. An independent dispute-resolution service for tenants. Mandatory landlord membership expected from 2028.

Phase 3 — post-2028, subject to consultation

• Decent Homes Standard for the PRS. The Decent Homes Standard, which has applied to social housing for over 20 years, will be extended to private rentals.
• Awaab’s Law extension. Strict timescales for landlords to address damp, mould and other category 1 hazards.
• Updated Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Frequently asked questions

Does my existing tenancy agreement still work after 1 May 2026?

The agreement itself remains valid — there is no need to issue a new one. However, any clauses that conflict with the new regime (fixed term, rent review, blanket pet ban, six-month break clause) become void from 1 May 2026 onwards. The tenancy continues as an assured periodic tenancy on the existing terms, with the void clauses ignored.

Can I still serve a Section 21 notice now?

Yes — until 30 April 2026. A Section 21 notice served before that date remains valid, but court proceedings must be issued by the earlier of (a) six months from the notice date, or (b) 31 July 2026. After 31 July 2026, no Section 21 claim can be brought, regardless of when the notice was served.

What if my tenant pays six months’ rent in advance now?

Tenancies entered into before 1 May 2026 are not affected by the rent-in-advance cap. Existing arrangements continue. The cap applies only to new tenancies entered into on or after 1 May 2026.

Does the Act apply to lodgers?

No. Lodgers are excluded occupiers under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, not assured tenants. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 does not apply to lodger arrangements. See our guide to lodger agreements.

Does the Act apply in Wales?

No. Welsh private rentals are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which is a separate regime. See our guide to occupation contracts in Wales.

Authoritative sources

• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 — full text on legislation.gov.uk
• Government’s official Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act
• Implementation Roadmap (MHCLG, November 2025)
• Housing Act 1988 (as amended)