The Renters’ Rights Act: New Protections for UK Tenants

After years of negotiations, the Renters’ Rights Act has been approved by parliament and given royal assent. Tenants in the UK will soon enjoy a number of new protections in what’s being called the biggest shake-up of rental law in 30 years. However, the government has not confirmed when each part of the Act will become law.

The changes aim to make the rental market fairer for tenants. The original Renters’ Rights Bill has been discussed for more than two years, and was originally expected to become law this time last year.

There have been a number of changes to the legislation as it’s been debated, but the final act guarantees several important protections for renters.

 

What the Renter’s Rights Act means for tenants

The end of no-fault evictions

One of the most discussed elements of the new law is the end of no-fault or Section 21 evictions. Previously, landlords could evict tenants from properties for any reason, selling or moving into the property as they saw fit.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, more than 11,000 individuals and families were forced to leave their homes under Section 21 evictions.

Now, landlords cannot sell or move into a property for 12 months after the start of a new tenancy. After the first year, they will need to give tenants four months’ notice.

Landlords can still evict tenants for anti-social behaviour or damage to the property, or for falling behind on rent (rent arrears). However, the amount owed required to lead to eviction has increased from two months to three.

Landlords can also no longer evict tenants for complaining about poor conditions in their homes.

 

A switch to periodic tenancies

The Renters’ Rights Act will see a switch from fixed-term to periodic tenancies. Rather than committing to renting for a set length of time, such as 12 months, tenancies will operate of a month-to-month basis.

Tenants will need to give two months’ notice to move out, whereas landlords must give four months’ notice to end the agreement, and can’t do so in the first year.

 

Protection from rent increases

Landlords will be required to give two months’ notice for any rent increases, and cannot raise rents above the market rate. Tenants can dispute any rent increases they feel are unfair in civil court as part of a first-tier tribunal.

 

A fairer rental market

The Renters’ Rights Act will make applying for available homes fairer, a welcome change amid the UK’s current ultra-competitive market.

Prospective renters will no longer be able to offer higher rents than listed for the property as part of ‘bidding wars’. There have been no changes to the tenancy fees or the deposit value you can be asked to pay, but landlords can now request only one month’s rent to secure a property.

 

Other changes in the Renters’ Rights Act

The Act offers further protections to tenants, including:

• A ban on discriminating against tenants in receipt of benefits
• Landlords cannot refuse to rent to or discriminate against tenants with children
• Tenants can request to have a pet in their property, and landlords cannot ‘unreasonably refuse’
• A ‘Decent Homes Standard’ will be introduced, and under ‘Awaab’s Law’, hazards will need to be repaired in a certain timeframe

 

Who is not covered by the Renters’ Rights Act?

The Act will only fully cover properties in England, rather than the whole UK. Scotland has already transitioned to periodic tenancies, for example, whereas in Wales and Northern Ireland, fixed-term tenancies will remain in effect.

The law is also slightly different for full-time students. Those living in purpose-built student accommodation can be evicted with just two weeks’ notice, and all-student households can be evicted six months after the start of the tenancy rather than a year, although the landlord must still give four months’ notice.

 

How will the Renters’ Rights Act affect the property market?

One of the primary aims of these changes is to redress the power imbalance between landlords and tenants to make the process of renting a home fairer.

In particular, the protection of the tenant’s rights to complain about properties and the introduction of Awaab’s law should reduce the number of dangerous and unsuitable properties on the market. Currently, issues like damp and mould are widespread in the private rental market and pose a huge public health risk.

While landlords have claimed the changes pose a risk to their investment, we predict the increased trust of renters in a more supportive market will be a boon to the UK’s housing industry, particularly in attracting more residents from overseas who were previously discouraged by flimsy tenants’ protections.