The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 reaches around 11 million renters in England and ends a tenancy system that has run almost unchanged since 1988. From 1 May 2026, landlords can no longer evict tenants without a reason, fixed-term contracts have ended, rent increases are capped to once a year, and tenants have a statutory right to request a pet.
The change is a clean break, not a phased transition. Existing Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) converted automatically into the new framework on 1 May – even where the original tenancy agreement has not been updated. This guide walks through what changed, how the rules affect existing tenancies versus new ones, and what landlords and tenants should be doing now.
Note for tenants in England only: The Renters’ Rights Act applies in England only. Scotland (Private Residential Tenancies) and Wales (Renting Homes Act 2016) operate under separate housing regimes.
Renters’ Rights Act 2026: what’s changed?
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the legislation that delivers the long-promised reform of England’s private rented sector. The bulk of operational provisions came into force on a single switchover day – 1 May 2026 – to avoid a confusing two-tier rental market. A second wave of reforms, including the new Private Rented Sector Database and Private Landlord Ombudsman, will be rolled out from late 2026 onwards.
In short, the Act:
- Abolishes Section 21 “no-fault” evictions
- Replaces Assured Shorthold Tenancies with a new Assured Periodic Tenancy
- Restricts rent increases to once a year, capped at the open-market rent
- Bans bidding wars and limits rent in advance to one month
- Gives tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords can’t unreasonably refuse
- Outlaws blanket “no DSS” lets and refusals based on having children
A second phase from late 2026 introduces the Private Rented Sector Database, the Private Landlord Ombudsman, an extension of Awaab’s Law to private rentals, an EPC C requirement by 2030, and a new Decent Homes Standard for private rented housing by 2035.
Renter’s Rights changes in effect from 1 May 2026
Five changes affect almost every private tenancy in England from day one. The table below summarises each one and who it applies to.
| Change | What it means | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Section 21 abolished | Landlords can’t evict without a valid reason. Possession is only available through Section 8 grounds. | All assured tenancies |
| Tenancies become periodic | Fixed terms and end dates have ended. All tenancies roll month to month (or weekly/fortnightly). | All assured tenancies |
| One rent increase per year | Increases must use Form 4A under Section 13, with 2 months’ notice. Tribunal challenge available. | All assured tenancies |
| No bidding, max 1 month upfront | Landlords must stick to the advertised rent and can’t accept more than 1 month’s rent in advance. | All new lets |
| Pet requests and discrimination | Tenants can request a pet; refusal must be in writing and reasonable. “No DSS” and “no children” rules are unlawful. | All assured tenancies |
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
How the Renters’ Rights Act affects existing tenancies
This is the part that surprises many landlords: the Renters’ Rights Act does not grandfather older agreements. On 1 May 2026, every existing assured or assured shorthold tenancy in England automatically converted into the new framework, and the new rules apply even where the tenancy agreement has not been updated.
In practice, that means:
- Your AST became an Assured Periodic Tenancy automatically. The change of name does not end the tenancy and does not require a new contract.
- Fixed terms have ended. If a tenancy had a 12-month fixed term, that end date no longer applies. The tenancy continues on a rolling basis.
- Rent review clauses no longer work. Any clause that lets a landlord increase the rent outside the Section 13 process is unenforceable from 1 May 2026.
- Section 21 is closed off. No new Section 21 notices can be served from 1 May 2026, regardless of what a tenancy agreement says.
- Pre-1 May notices may still proceed. If a landlord served a Section 21 or Section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, they may still be able to take the tenant to court under the previous rules.
- No written agreement? If there is no written tenancy agreement or written record of the terms, the landlord must provide certain written information on or before 31 May 2026.
Note for tenants: The new rules apply automatically. You don’t need to sign a new contract for them to take effect, and your landlord cannot ask you to opt out.
How the Renters’ Rights Act affects new tenancies
Any tenancy that starts on or after 1 May 2026 is created under the new framework from day one. The most important features for new lets are:
- No fixed term. The tenancy is periodic from the outset. Landlords can’t offer or require a 6 or 12-month lock-in.
- Rent at the advertised price. Marketing a property at one figure and accepting offers above it is unlawful.
- One month’s rent in advance, maximum, alongside the existing 5-week tenancy deposit cap.
- Pet requests must be considered on a case-by-case basis and refused only on reasonable grounds, in writing.
- Some grounds are off-limits in the first 12 months. A landlord can’t seek possession on the grounds of selling the property, or moving themselves or a family member in, until the tenancy has run for at least 12 months.
Letting agents will need updated tenancy templates, new referencing scripts, and clear processes for handling pet requests, rent-in-advance enquiries and Section 8 advice for landlords.
Renters’ Rights Act: before and after comparison
| Area | Before 1 May 2026 | From 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy type | Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), often a 6 or 12-month fixed term | Single Assured Periodic Tenancy, no fixed term |
| Ending the tenancy (landlord) | Section 21 (no-fault) or Section 8 | Section 8 only, with new 12-month restrictions on sale and move-in grounds |
| Ending the tenancy (tenant) | Bound by a fixed term, then 1 month’s notice | 2 months’ notice in writing, any time |
| Rent increases | Often via contract clause; multiple rises a year possible | Section 13 / Form 4A only, once a year, market rate, tribunal-appealable |
| Bidding | Common practice | Banned – landlord must stick to the advertised rent |
| Rent in advance | No statutory cap | Capped at 1 month |
| Pets | Landlord discretion | Right to request; refusal must be in writing and reasonable |
| Benefits/children | Blanket bans common | Discrimination unlawful |
| Oversight (phase 2) | Various redress schemes | Private Landlord Ombudsman + PRS Database from late 2026 |
What landlords need to do now
If you let property in England, the practical to-do list is short but urgent.
- Replace your AST template. Any new lets must use a compliant Assured Periodic Tenancy agreement.
- Provide written information where it’s missing. If a current tenant doesn’t have a written agreement, you must give them written information by 31 May 2026.
- Audit live tenancies. Identify clauses that no longer work – fixed-term provisions, rent review formulas, pet/benefit/children restrictions – and brief tenants on what now applies.
- Update your possession process. Train yourself or your agent on Section 8 grounds, Form 4A rent increases, and the new 12-month restriction on sale and move-in evictions.
- Refresh your rent-increase cycle. Move to a single annual Section 13 notice using Form 4A, benchmarked to local market rents.
- Prepare for phase 2. Watch for the PRS Database and Ombudsman rollout from late 2026 and gather your portfolio details now.
Note for landlords: Local councils now have stronger enforcement powers, including higher fines and prosecution for breaches. The cost of getting the new rules wrong is materially higher than it was under the old AST regime.
What tenants should know
Tenants don’t need to do anything for an existing tenancy to convert – it happens automatically. But it’s worth knowing your new rights in practice:
- You can leave with 2 months’ notice at any time, given in writing (letter or email is fine), so the tenancy ends on a rent-due day or the day before.
- Your landlord cannot serve a new Section 21 notice. Any attempt to do so on or after 1 May 2026 is invalid.
- A landlord serving a notice before 1 May 2026 may still be able to proceed under the previous rules – get advice if this affects you.
- Rent rises must follow the Section 13 / Form 4A process. You can challenge an above-market increase at the First-tier Tribunal.
- You can ask in writing to keep a pet. A refusal must be in writing with reasons, and you can challenge it in court.
- Free legal advice is available before and on the day of any possession hearing through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service.
If you’re moving into a new rental, it’s also worth lining up your essentials early. Use our UK broadband guide to compare providers before you move in, and check whether the property has a fibre connection available at the address.
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.
