The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is now in force. Here is what has changed.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is now in force. Here is what has changed.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect for the private rented sector in England on 1 May 2026. Section 21 no fault evictions are abolished, every private tenancy is now periodic, all possession claims run through Section 8, and rent increases must follow the Section 13 procedure using Form 4A.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlords should seek independent legal advice for their specific circumstances. It describes the position in England.

What is the Renters' Rights Act 2025?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the Act of Parliament that reformed the private rented sector in England. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its core tenancy reforms came into force on 1 May 2026, applying to new and existing tenancies on the same day. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

The Act applies to assured tenancies in the private rented sector in England. Social housing follows a separate implementation process, and Welsh and Scottish landlord law differs significantly.

Implementation is phased. The tenancy reforms described below are in force now. The Private Rented Sector Database, the Landlord Ombudsman, the Decent Homes Standard, and Awaab's Law for the private sector follow later, and their dates are covered at the end of this article.

Section 21 is abolished

Since 1 May 2026, landlords in England cannot serve a Section 21 notice. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 previously allowed a landlord to end a tenancy without giving a reason. It no longer exists for private tenancies.

To recover possession, a landlord must now rely on one of the statutory grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended, served using a Section 8 notice on Form 3A. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

All tenancies are now periodic

Every private residential tenancy in England is now periodic, running on a rolling basis with no fixed end date. Fixed term assured tenancies were removed from the sector, and existing fixed terms converted to periodic tenancies automatically on 1 May 2026. There is no two tier system of old and new tenancies.

Tenants can end a tenancy by giving two months' notice at any time. Landlords can only end a tenancy by establishing a statutory possession ground. Leases with a fixed term of more than 21 years sit outside the assured tenancy system entirely.

The key possession grounds

The main grounds landlords rely on now work as follows. The full table is published in the Guide to the Renters' Rights Act on GOV.UK.

Two points catch landlords out. First, the Ground 8 arrears threshold rose from two months to three months, and the arrears must meet the threshold at both the notice date and the hearing date. Second, Grounds 1 and 1A carry a 12 month protected period at the start of every tenancy, and using Ground 1A brings a restriction on re-letting the property afterwards. Landlords considering either ground are advised to take legal advice on the restricted period before serving notice, as its calculation is not yet settled by the courts. The full breakdown of the grounds and the mistakes landlords make is covered separately.

Rent increases: Section 13 and Form 4A only

Rent on a private periodic tenancy can only be increased through the Section 13 procedure, using prescribed Form 4A, once in any 12 month period, with at least two months' notice. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements ceased to have effect on 1 May 2026, whatever the agreement says.

A tenant who considers the proposed rent above market level can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal before the effective date. The Tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the landlord proposed, and where a challenge is made, the new rent takes effect from the date of the Tribunal's determination rather than being backdated to the notice date. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.) The step by step Section 13 procedure is covered separately.

Pets, bidding, and discrimination

Tenants now have a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet, and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse. The provision that would have allowed landlords to require pet insurance was removed before the Act passed, so landlords cannot make insurance a condition of consent. The pet request process and reasonable grounds for refusal are covered separately.

Rental bidding is banned. The advertised rent is a ceiling: landlords and agents cannot ask for, encourage, or accept offers above it.

It is now unlawful to discriminate against prospective tenants because they receive benefits or have children. Blanket "no DSS" and "no children" policies are prohibited.

Enforcement and penalties

Local authorities hold a duty to enforce the Act and can impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches of relevant landlord duties and up to £40,000 for offences, without going to court. (Source: GOV.UK civil penalties guidance.) The maximum rent repayment order doubled to 24 months' rent for offences committed after 1 May 2026, liability extends to superior landlords, and repeat offenders must be ordered to repay the maximum. Every figure is set out in the civil penalties table.

Landlords with tenancies that existed in writing before commencement were also required to give every named tenant the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, with a penalty of up to £7,000 for failing to do so.

What is still to come

The PRS Database opens on 15 December 2026, rolling out region by region across England into 2027, with a three month registration window once a region commences. The Landlord Ombudsman is expected to follow, with government statements pointing to 2028, though the date is not yet fixed in regulations. The Decent Homes Standard and the extension of Awaab's Law to the private sector sit in a later phase, and no commencement date has been set for either. Content on these later phases should be treated as provisional until commencement regulations are made.

What this means for landlords

Possession now runs entirely on evidence. A landlord who cannot show that certificates were served, the deposit was protected, and the notice was correctly drawn will struggle regardless of the strength of the underlying ground. Keeping a dated, retrievable record of every obligation is now the practical foundation of managing a tenancy in England.

LLCR tracks every certificate, deadline, and notice across a portfolio and keeps a dated record of what was in place and when. Check a property's compliance position free in two minutes; no account is required.