Key Takeaways
- The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026 and applies to almost all private tenancies in England.
- Section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished, so landlords now recover possession only through Section 8 and its expanded grounds.
- Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are gone. All tenancies are rolling periodic tenancies, and rent can be raised only once a year through a set process.
- Penalties have risen sharply, with civil penalties of up to £40,000 and rent repayment orders of up to two years’ rent.
If you let property in England, the rules you have worked under for decades have changed. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector since the 1980s, and most of it is already in force.
The headline is the end of Section 21 no-fault eviction, but the Act reaches much further, reshaping tenancy types, rent rises, possession, pets and penalties. The main reforms began on 1 May 2026, so this is about the rules as they stand now, not a future proposal.
Keep reading for a plain-English run through the main changes and what they mean in practice, so you can stay compliant and avoid the steep new penalties for getting it wrong.
And if you want to check how the changes affect your own portfolio, our landlord and tenant solicitors offer a free 30-minute consultation.
When did the Renters’ Rights Act come into force?
The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and the main tenancy reforms commenced on 1 May 2026. That commencement date applied to new and existing tenancies alike, so the changes are not something landlords can opt out of or delay.
Not everything arrived at once. Some parts are being rolled out later, including a new private rented sector landlord database expected from late 2026, a landlord ombudsman expected in 2028, and a Decent Homes Standard for rented homes later still. The government’s guide to the Act sets out the wider timetable, so there is more to come.
The end of fixed terms
Assured shorthold tenancies no longer exist. On 1 May 2026 existing ones automatically became assured periodic tenancies, which roll on a monthly basis with no end date, and you can no longer grant or enforce a fixed term.
That cuts both ways. You cannot tie a tenant into a twelve-month term any more, and a tenant can now end the tenancy at any time by giving two months’ notice. Tenancy planning that relied on fixed terms needs rethinking.
Section 21 is gone: how possession works now
This is the change most landlords feel first. No-fault eviction has ended. The last day to serve a valid Section 21 notice was 30 April 2026, and any notice served before then must reach court by 31 July 2026, after which Section 21 is finished for good. We cover the transition in detail in our guide on evicting a tenant after Section 21 is abolished.
Possession now runs entirely through Section 8, which means you must prove a legal ground rather than simply giving notice. Our guide to the Section 8 grounds explains how each one works, but the headlines are these:
- Ground 1 lets you recover the property for yourself or a family member, and the new Ground 1A lets you recover it to sell. Both need four months’ notice, cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and stop you re-letting or re-marketing the property for 12 months afterwards.
- Ground 8, the main rent arrears ground, now requires three months’ arrears rather than two, with four weeks’ notice.
- The anti-social behaviour grounds remain available, and some carry little or no notice.
Notice periods now vary a great deal depending on the ground, as we set out in our guide to how much notice a landlord must give. And for most grounds, a court will refuse possession unless the deposit was protected and the prescribed information given, so compliance is now built into getting your property back.
New rules on rent increases
Rent can now be increased only once a year, and only through the statutory Section 13 process using the prescribed form, giving at least two months’ notice and proposing a market rent. Rent-review clauses and other shortcuts no longer have any effect.
If the tenant thinks the increase is above market rate, they can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. The tribunal can set the rent at the market level but cannot push it above what you asked for. On top of this, you cannot require more than one month’s rent in advance, and rental bidding, where a landlord invites or accepts offers above the advertised rent, is now banned.
Pets, discrimination and tenant protections
Tenants now have a right to request to keep a pet, and you cannot unreasonably refuse. You have 28 days to respond to a request, and you can make your consent conditional on the tenant taking out pet insurance.
You can also no longer refuse to let to families with children or to people receiving benefits. This is a new rental discrimination ban, and it applies to how a property is advertised as well as who you ultimately accept.
There is paperwork too. A written statement of the key terms must be given before a tenancy begins, and landlords had to provide existing tenants with the government’s official information sheet by 31 May 2026, with a penalty of up to £7,000 for missing that deadline.
Tougher penalties and enforcement
The cost of getting things wrong has gone up steeply. Councils can now impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches and up to £40,000 for offences, and they have both a clearer duty to enforce and stronger powers to investigate, as the government’s civil penalties guidance explains.
Rent repayment orders have doubled to a maximum of two years’ rent, and both tenants and councils can apply for them. The coming landlord database and ombudsman will add registration and complaint-handling duties on top, all of which sit within the wider landlord obligations you need to keep on top of.
What should landlords do now?
The practical steps are manageable if you take them in order. Review your tenancy paperwork and confirm every deposit is protected with the prescribed information served. Make sure existing tenants have had the information sheet and a written statement of terms. Handle any rent rise only through the Section 13 process. And work out which Section 8 grounds fit your circumstances before you actually need to rely on one.
With possession now slower and more contestable, and penalties far higher than before, taking advice before you act has become the cheaper option rather than the expensive one.
Speak to a landlord and tenant solicitor about the Renters’ Rights Act
The Renters’ Rights Act has made letting property in England more complex, and the cost of mistakes much higher. Serving the wrong notice, missing a new deadline or mishandling a rent increase can now cost you possession, time and a substantial penalty.
At Osbourne Pinner, our landlord and tenant solicitors help landlords get to grips with the new rules, review their tenancies and documents, and handle possession and compliance the right way. We will explain what the Act means for you and what to do next.
Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We always recommend speaking to a qualified solicitor for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
We offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your situation. You can speak with us via video call or visit our offices in Harrow, Canary Wharf, Piccadilly Circus or Manchester. To arrange your consultation, call 0203 983 5080, email [email protected] or complete the form below.
