The Renters' Rights Act: What Landlords Need to Do Now

The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent on 20 September 2025. It's the biggest change to private renting in England in over 30 years, and it's being rolled out in phases throughout 2026.

Status as of February 2026: The Act is enacted but most provisions have not yet commenced. Section 21 abolition, the landlord register, and the ombudsman scheme are awaiting commencement orders. No secondary legislation setting out detailed rules has been published. Check legislation.gov.uk for the latest commencement orders.

If you're a private landlord in England, several things you currently rely on — Section 21 notices, fixed-term tenancies, blanket bans on pets — are being abolished or restricted. Here's what's actually changing, what stays the same, and what you should do now.

This Act applies to England only. Wales already replaced Assured Shorthold Tenancies with occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate tenancy legislation.

Section 21 is being abolished

The headline change: landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants using a "no-fault" Section 21 notice. Once the Act is fully in force, all Section 21 notices become invalid.

What this means in practice:

You can no longer end a tenancy without giving a reason
All possession claims must go through Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, which requires you to prove specific grounds
Existing Section 21 notices served before the changeover will have a transition period, but new ones cannot be served after the Act takes effect

This doesn't mean you can't regain possession of your property. It means you need a valid reason — and you need your compliance in order to use Section 8 effectively.

Fixed-term tenancies are ending

All new private tenancies will be periodic from day one. No more 6-month or 12-month fixed terms.

For tenants, this means they can leave with two months' notice at any point. For landlords, it means you can't lock a tenant into a minimum period.

Existing fixed-term tenancies will transition to periodic tenancies once their current term expires (or earlier, depending on when the relevant provisions commence).

New and strengthened Section 8 grounds

With Section 21 gone, the government has expanded the grounds available under Section 8. The key changes:

Ground 1 — Landlord wishes to sell

Available after the first 12 months of a tenancy
Requires 4 months' notice
You must genuinely intend to sell. Anti-abuse provisions mean you can't claim this ground and then not sell — doing so may result in compensation claims

Ground 1A — Landlord or family member wishes to move in

Available after the first 12 months
Requires 4 months' notice
Same anti-abuse protections as Ground 1

Ground 8 — Serious rent arrears

Tenant must owe at least 2 months' rent both when you serve notice and at the hearing date
Mandatory ground (court must grant possession if proved)

New: Repeated arrears ground

If a tenant falls into arrears 3 or more times within 3 years, you can seek possession even if they've cleared the debt each time
Addresses the "pay-clear-repeat" cycle

Strengthened anti-social behaviour grounds

Lower threshold for evidence
Faster processing through the courts

The full list of grounds is in Schedule 1 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

The mandatory landlord register

A new Private Rented Sector Database is being created. Every private landlord in England will need to register themselves and their properties before they can legally let them.

What we know so far:

Registration will be required before marketing or letting a property
The database will be publicly searchable (tenants can check if a landlord is registered)
It will likely include property addresses, landlord details, and compliance status
Local authorities will have enforcement powers for non-registration
Rollout is expected in phases by region during late 2026

The exact fees and detailed requirements haven't been published yet. When they are, we'll update this post.

A new ombudsman for private landlords

All private landlords will be required to join a government-approved ombudsman scheme. This is separate from the existing deposit protection schemes.

The ombudsman will:

Handle tenant complaints that can't be resolved directly
Have powers to order compensation
Make binding decisions on disputes
Be free for tenants to use (landlords pay a membership fee)

The ombudsman scheme is expected to launch alongside the landlord register. Annual fees haven't been confirmed, but budget in the region of £30-50/year based on similar schemes.

Rent increases: once a year, one mechanism

The Act standardises how rent increases work:

Maximum one increase per year
Must use a Section 13 notice (the formal statutory process)
Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements are void — you can't contract around this
Tenants can challenge increases at a First-tier Tribunal, which will assess whether the increase is above market rate

This doesn't cap how much you can increase rent by. It controls how often and by what process.

Blanket bans on tenants with children or pets

Two significant restrictions:

Pets: You cannot unreasonably refuse a tenant's request to keep a pet. You can require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance, and you can refuse if there's a genuine reason (e.g., lease restrictions on the building, allergy of another occupant in a shared house).

Children and benefit recipients: Blanket bans — "no children", "no DSS" — are already unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 in many cases. The Act reinforces this and makes enforcement clearer.

Decent Homes Standard extends to private rentals

The Decent Homes Standard, which has applied to social housing since 2006, will be extended to the private rented sector. This sets minimum standards for:

Housing health and safety (HHSRS)
State of repair
Reasonably modern facilities
Thermal comfort

The exact private-sector standards haven't been finalised, but expect them to align closely with the existing social housing criteria. If your property already passes HHSRS assessments and has a valid EPC rating of E or above, you're likely in reasonable shape.

What you should do now

You don't need to panic — most provisions haven't commenced yet, and the government is implementing in phases. But you should prepare:

1. Get your compliance in order

With Section 21 gone, your ability to use Section 8 depends on having your compliance documentation up to date. Courts will scrutinise whether you've met your obligations — gas safety, electrical safety, deposit protection, and the rest.

2. Review your tenancy agreements

Fixed-term clauses will become unenforceable. Rent review clauses that bypass Section 13 will be void. Get your agreements reviewed now rather than scrambling later.

3. Learn the new possession grounds

If you need to regain possession, you'll need to use Section 8. Understand which grounds apply to your situation and the notice periods required (mostly 2-4 months).

4. Budget for new costs

Between the landlord register fee, ombudsman membership, and potential Decent Homes Standard upgrades, expect modest new annual costs. None are likely to be large individually, but they add up.

5. Document everything

The new system puts more emphasis on landlords being able to demonstrate compliance. Keep records of inspections, certificates, communications with tenants, and maintenance work. A compliance tracker like DueProper will help you stay on top of deadlines and store evidence in one place.

Coming soon — join the waitlist for early access.

6. Watch for commencement dates

Different provisions take effect at different times. The government publishes commencement orders as statutory instruments — follow legislation.gov.uk for updates.

Free tools

Rental Compliance Score — check your compliance health in 2 minutes
Landlord Fine Calculator — see your penalty exposure

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is being implemented in phases — specific commencement dates for each provision are published as statutory instruments. Always check legislation.gov.uk and gov.uk/government/collections/renters-rights-bill for the latest position.