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

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (RRA) takes effect on 1 May 2026. It abolishes Section 21, ends fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies, restricts rent increases and pre-tenancy rent demands, and introduces a new statutory pet-request process. Three changes matter most — explore each one below.

The three biggest changes for landlords

The Renters' Rights Act at a glance

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and comes into force in three phases, with Phase 1 beginning on 1 May 2026. The Act amends the Housing Act 1988 and represents the largest reform of the private rented sector in England in 35 years. The full text is available at legislation.gov.uk.

From 1 May 2026:

• Section 21 ("no-fault") evictions are abolished. Landlords seeking possession must use Section 8 with a statutory ground.
• Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are abolished. All assured tenancies become periodic by default; existing fixed terms convert automatically.
• Rent review clauses become unenforceable for assured tenancies. Rent can only be increased through Section 13 using the new Form 4A.
• Upfront rent payments are restricted. No more than one month's rent can be required in advance after signing.
• Rental bidding wars are banned. Properties must be advertised at a stated asking rent, and offers above it cannot be accepted.
• A statutory pet request process applies. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse pets and can require pet damage insurance.
• The Information Sheet must be served on all existing assured tenants between 1-31 May 2026.

Phase 2 (from late 2026) introduces the Private Rented Sector Database. Phase 3 (around 2028) brings the mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman and the new Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector.

The 31 May 2026 deadline every landlord needs to know

The single most important short-term obligation under the RRA is the Information Sheet requirement. Every landlord with an existing assured or assured shorthold tenancy must give a copy of the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 to each named tenant between 1 May 2026 and 31 May 2026. The full government guidance is available on gov.uk.

The Information Sheet is a government-produced PDF. It cannot be modified, summarised, or replaced with the landlord's own document. It can be served by post, by hand, by email attachment, or by text-message attachment. Where a managing agent is involved, both the landlord and the agent must serve it independently.

Failure to serve the Information Sheet is enforceable through the Act's civil penalty regime. For a portfolio landlord with multiple tenancies, the cumulative exposure can be significant. Landlords should treat the 31 May 2026 deadline as a hard one.

One narrow exception: where the existing tenancy is wholly oral (no written tenancy agreement at all), different transitional provisions apply. In that case the landlord must instead provide a written statement of the tenancy's key terms by 31 May 2026 — not the Information Sheet. The detail of the written-statement requirement is set out in section 12 of the Act. This situation is rare in practice; most landlords with any written tenancy documentation will need to serve the Information Sheet.

Common confusions about the RRA

Several recurring areas of misunderstanding emerge from how the RRA framework works in practice.

"My existing tenancy agreement still applies in full." — Partly true. The contract continues, but any clauses that conflict with the RRA framework (rent review clauses, fixed-term provisions, blanket pet bans, advance-rent clauses beyond one month) are unenforceable from 1 May 2026. The agreement does not need to be re-signed; the changes apply automatically by operation of law.

"I can still take six months' rent in advance from a new tenant who has weak credit." — No. For tenancies signed on or after 1 May 2026, no more than one month's rent can be required at signing. Affordability concerns must be addressed through other means — guarantors, rent guarantee insurance, or a suitable holding deposit (capped at one week's rent).

"The Act doesn't apply to my tenancy because it started before 1 May 2026." — Existing assured shorthold tenancies do not escape the Act. They convert automatically to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, with the new framework applying to them from that date.

"Section 21 is gone, so I can't recover possession of my own property." — Section 8 remains, with revised statutory grounds in Schedule 2. New mandatory grounds for landlord move-in (Ground 1) and sale of the property (Ground 1A) cover most situations where landlords previously relied on Section 21 — though both require four months' notice and cannot be used in the first twelve months of a tenancy.

"I just need to wait until everything is implemented before doing anything." — Inaction is itself a risk. The 31 May 2026 Information Sheet deadline is a hard one. Section 21 notices must be served by 30 April 2026 if the landlord wants to use them at all. Rent review strategy needs to be in place before 1 May 2026.

What to do before 1 May 2026

• Identify all existing tenancies. Make a list of every property and every named tenant. The Information Sheet is required for each named tenant.
• Decide on Section 21 action. If you have grounds to recover possession of any property, the deadline to serve Section 21 is 30 April 2026.
• Audit rent-review clauses. Any contractual rent increase relying on a clause becomes unenforceable from 1 May. If a planned increase falls within the cliff-edge window, calendar it.
• Update your tenancy template for new lets after 1 May. The new mandatory written statement of terms must be included.
• Review your affordability process. If you have relied on advance rent for tenants with limited credit, this must be replaced with guarantors or rent guarantee insurance.
• Review your advertising. Make sure listings show a single asking rent. Bidding wars and "offers above" framing are now banned.

When to get proper legal advice

This guide covers the RRA framework at a general level. It is not legal advice for any specific situation. If your circumstances involve any of the following, speak to a practising solicitor specialising in landlord and tenant law before acting:

• An existing Section 21 notice you are unsure remains valid.
• A possession claim where the tenancy was originally granted before 1989.
• A property that is part of a larger development with mixed lease arrangements.
• A rent review clause where significant uplifts have been triggered.
• Any tenancy where the parties or property have unusual features (company tenants, diplomatic immunity, listed buildings, mixed-use).

The Law Society's Find a Solicitor service is the official starting point for finding a qualified practitioner.

Sources

• Renters' Rights Act 2025 — full text on legislation.gov.uk
• Schedule 1 (revised Schedule 2 grounds) on legislation.gov.uk
• Section 12 (written statement of terms) on legislation.gov.uk
• Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 (gov.uk)
• Implementation Roadmap (gov.uk PDF)
• Form 4A — Section 13 Notice (gov.uk)

This guide reflects the position as of 30 April 2026. Secondary legislation under the Act continues to be laid; landlords should check gov.uk for any updates after this date.