Evictions
The government will end section 21 “no-fault” evictions. Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without a valid reason. Evictions will still be permitted for specific grounds, including unpaid rent, antisocial behaviour, selling the property, moving back in, or issues covered by schemes such as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme or HMO regulations.
Pets
Landlords will no longer be able to prohibit pets. Renters can request to have a pet, and landlords must consider the request reasonably rather than automatically refusing.
Tenancy Contracts
All private rental agreements will switch to rolling contracts, rather than fixed-term agreements. Tenancies will operate on a month-to-month or week-to-week basis, giving renters greater security. Tenants may end the tenancy with two months’ notice rather than being tied into longer fixed terms.
Bidding Wars
Landlords and letting agents will be prohibited from accepting offers above the advertised rent. Encouraging or accepting higher offers will become illegal under the new rules.
Discrimination
It will become unlawful for landlords or agents to refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits. Reference and affordability checks remain permitted, but rejecting tenants for these reasons will be banned.
Rent Increases
Landlords will only be allowed to raise rent once a year and must provide at least two months’ notice. Any increase must align with the market rate. Tenants can challenge excessive rent rises through a first-tier tribunal.
Rent in Advance
Landlords will be limited to requesting no more than one month’s rent upfront to secure a tenancy. For tenancies shorter than a month, this may be calculated as 28 days’ rent.
Implementation Timeline
The first phase of the Renters Rights Act takes effect on 1 May 2026. From this date, all private tenancies in England, both existing and new, will fall under the new rules.
Phase One Focus
This phase focuses on tenancy reform, including:
- Automatic transition to rolling tenancies
- Caps on rent in advance
- Ban on rental bidding
- Clearer rules for rent increases via Section 13 notices
- Stronger anti-discrimination measures
- New rights regarding pets
Existing Tenancies
All current assured shorthold tenancies will convert automatically to the new system. New tenancies signed after 1 May 2026 must comply with the updated rules, including rent in advance limits, processes for rent increases, and pet rights. Any Section 21 notice served before this date remains valid until its expiry or the tenant moves out.
Written Tenancy Agreements
New legislation requires all tenancies to include a written agreement with government-specified information. Existing written agreements do not need to be reissued, but tenants must receive a government-produced information sheet explaining the reforms. Landlords with verbal agreements or protected tenancies must provide a written document covering the required details.
Future Phases
- Phase Two (Late 2026): Introduction of a Landlord Ombudsman and a new Private Rented Sector (PRS) database.
- Phase Three (TBC, expected 2035–2037): Implementation of the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law.
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