Renters' Rights Act Now in Effect: What Landlords Must Do

The Act Is Now Law

As of 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 is fully in effect for all private tenancies in England. This is the biggest change to private renting in over 30 years. If you're a landlord, there are immediate actions you must take.

Key Changes at a Glance

• Section 21 abolished — no-fault evictions are gone. You must now use Section 8 grounds (rent arrears, selling, family use, antisocial behaviour, etc.) to regain possession.
• Fixed-term tenancies banned — all new tenancies are periodic (rolling) from day one. Tenants can leave with two months' notice at any time.
• Rent increases limited — maximum once per year, with at least two months' advance notice to tenants.
• Rental bidding banned — you must advertise a specific rent amount and cannot accept offers above it.
• Rent advance capped — maximum one month's rent can be collected before the tenancy starts.
• Anti-discrimination rules — you cannot refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits.
• Pet requests — you must formally consider and respond to tenant pet requests, providing documented reasons for any refusal.
• New document requirement — you must provide the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet to all tenants.
• Penalties increased — civil penalties of up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution for non-compliance.

Immediate Action: The Information Sheet

The most urgent requirement is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet. This is a new government document that landlords must provide:

• To all existing tenants by 31 May 2026
• To all new tenants at the start of the tenancy

This is a separate document from the How to Rent guide. Both must be provided. The Information Sheet covers the new rights tenants have under the Act. Failure to provide it puts you at a disadvantage in any future Section 8 proceedings.

Section 21 Is Gone: What This Means in Practice

You can no longer serve a Section 21 notice on any tenant, regardless of when the tenancy started. If you need to regain possession, you must establish specific Section 8 grounds.

This makes your compliance records critical. Tenants defending against Section 8 notices can point to any failure in your legal obligations — missing safety certificates, documents not properly served, expired paperwork. If you can't prove you provided required documents, your case weakens significantly.

Fixed-Term Tenancies Are Over

You can no longer create fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies. All new tenancies are periodic from the start. Existing fixed-term tenancies will convert to periodic once they reach their end date.

This means tenants can give two months' notice and leave at any time. You cannot lock tenants into a minimum term. Your tenancy agreements should reflect this new structure.

Rent Increase Rules

Rent can only be increased once every 12 months. You must give at least two months' written notice. The increase must be to market rate — tenants can challenge excessive increases through the First-tier Tribunal.

Keep records of every rent increase notice served, including when it was served and evidence the tenant received it.

Pet Requests: Document Your Response

Tenants now have the right to request permission to keep a pet. You must respond in writing within a reasonable timeframe. If you refuse, you must provide documented reasons. Unreasonable refusals can be challenged.

Keep records of all pet requests received and your responses, including your reasoning.

What's Coming Next

The Act also introduces several measures that will be implemented in phases over the coming months:

• Private Rented Sector Database — a landlord register that will be publicly accessible
• Private rented sector Ombudsman — tenants will be able to escalate complaints without going to court
• Awaab's Law — mandatory response timelines for hazards reported by tenants
• Decent Homes Standard — minimum property condition standards extended to private rentals

Implementation dates for these will be published separately. We'll cover each one as they come into force.

Your Compliance Checklist

Here's what you should be doing right now:

1. Provide the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet to all existing tenants before 31 May 2026
2. Review your tenancy agreements — remove any fixed-term clauses for new tenancies
3. Ensure all required documents are up to date — EPC, Gas Safety, EICR, How to Rent guide, deposit protection
4. Set up proof of delivery — you need timestamped evidence that tenants received each document
5. Record rent increase notices — keep evidence of when and how notice was served
6. Document any pet request responses — keep written records with reasoning
7. Review your record-keeping systems — under Section 8, every piece of compliance evidence matters

Why Evidence Matters More Than Ever

Under Section 21, the eviction process was largely mechanical. Under Section 8, it's adversarial. Tenants can defend themselves, and their solicitors will look for any gap in your compliance. Timestamped proof that documents were delivered, viewed, and acknowledged is no longer a nice-to-have — it's essential.

“I emailed it to them” is not proof. “The tenant viewed the Gas Safety Certificate on 15 January 2026 at 09:41” is proof. The difference determines whether your Section 8 case succeeds.