The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 changed the rules for private tenants in England on 1 May 2026. Since that date, landlords can no longer use section 21 “no-fault” evictions, every private tenancy runs on a rolling (periodic) basis, rent can only be raised once a year through a formal notice, and bidding wars, large upfront rent demands and blanket bans on tenants with children or on benefits are outlawed. This guide sets out what the Renters’ Rights Act means for tenants as of October 2026, and what is still to come.
The tenancy reforms described here apply to the private rented sector in England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own housing laws, so renters there should check the rules for their own nation.
When did the Renters’ Rights Act come into force?
The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. The government’s implementation roadmap, published in November 2025, split the changes into three phases:
- Phase 1 (1 May 2026): the new tenancy system, the end of section 21, new rent rules, bans on bidding and discrimination, and the right to request a pet.
- Phase 2 (from late 2026): a national database of private landlords and, later, a compulsory landlord ombudsman.
- Phase 3 (dates subject to consultation): a Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes and the extension of Awaab’s Law on damp and mould.
Phase 1 covers both new tenancies and existing ones. Landlords with existing written tenancies had to give their tenants the government’s official information sheet on or before 31 May 2026. Where a tenancy was only agreed verbally, the landlord had to provide a written summary of its main terms by the same date.
No more section 21 or fixed terms
The biggest change is that assured shorthold tenancies and fixed terms have gone. Existing fixed-term tenancies converted into assured periodic tenancies, which roll on from one rent period to the next until either side ends them properly.
How a tenant can leave
You can end your tenancy by giving your landlord two months’ notice, timed to finish at the end of a rent period. Because there is no longer a fixed term, you are not locked in for six or twelve months at the start.
How a landlord can end a tenancy
A landlord must now rely on a legal reason, known as a ground for possession, and serve the correct notice. The government’s guide to the Act highlights several protections for tenants:
- Selling or moving in: a landlord cannot use these grounds in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and must give four months’ notice when they do.
- No quick re-letting: after using the selling or moving-in grounds, the landlord cannot market or re-let the home for 12 months (with a narrow exception for some shared owners).
- Rent arrears: the mandatory arrears ground now requires three months’ arrears rather than two, and the notice period has doubled from two weeks to four. Discretionary arrears grounds still exist.
Councils also have stronger enforcement powers, and BCP Council notes that local authorities can now act without first trying mediation in serious cases such as illegal eviction or harassment.
Rent increases under the Renters’ Rights Act
Rent can now go up only once a year, and only through a section 13 notice giving at least two months’ warning. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer work as a way to raise the rent. The landlord can propose an increase up to the market rate, meaning roughly what the home would fetch if it were newly advertised.
If you think a proposed increase is above market rent, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. Under the new rules the tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the landlord asked for, and the increase cannot be backdated to before its decision. The tribunal can also defer an increase by up to two further months in cases of hardship. Commentary from law firm Bevan Brittan in September 2026 confirms that the higher rent is not payable until the tribunal makes its final decision.
The government has said that, in future, HMRC’s Valuation Office will make the first decision on rent challenges in England to speed things up. As of October 2026 that change has not taken effect, so tenants should still apply to the tribunal.
Bidding wars, upfront rent and discrimination
Several practices that made renting harder to access are now banned in England:
- Rental bidding: landlords and agents must advertise an asking rent and cannot seek, encourage or accept offers above it. Breaches can lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
- Rent in advance: before a tenancy starts, a landlord can ask for no more than one month’s rent (or 28 days’ rent where rent is paid more often than monthly). Rent cannot be demanded before both sides have signed. The penalty for breaches is up to £5,000.
- Discrimination: refusing tenants because they receive benefits or have children is unlawful, with civil penalties of up to £7,000. Clauses in mortgages, insurance policies and tenancies that restrict these groups have been nullified, according to the government’s landlord checklist.
BCP Council advises tenants to report bidding or upfront-rent breaches to Trading Standards.
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Asking to keep a pet
Tenants now have the right to ask, in writing, to keep a pet, saying what kind of animal it is. The landlord must reply in writing within 28 days and cannot refuse unreasonably. BCP Council’s guidance says blanket “no pets” policies are not allowed, and that once a pet is approved the landlord cannot add an extra pet deposit or fee, although pet damage can be taken from the existing deposit. If the landlord refuses unreasonably or does not reply, a tenant can challenge the decision, and the government expects pet disputes to go to the future ombudsman as well as the courts.
What happens if a landlord breaks the rules?
Councils enforce most of the new duties. Higher civil penalties came into force on 1 May 2026, and the government’s checklist warns landlords of fines of up to £7,000 or £40,000 depending on the breach, as well as prosecution with unlimited fines.
Tenants can also seek a rent repayment order where a landlord has committed certain offences. The Act doubles the maximum award from 12 to 24 months’ rent, extends the time to apply from 12 to 24 months, and allows orders against superior landlords and company directors. Repeat offenders must pay the maximum.
What is still to come
The landlord database
Every private landlord in England with an assured or regulated tenancy will have to register themselves and their properties on a new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and then region by region, with London opening on 15 July 2027 and the final deadline, for the South West, on 14 November 2027. Landlords will pay £65 a year per property. Once their region’s deadline passes, an unregistered landlord generally cannot obtain a possession order, apart from under two specific grounds, and tenants will be able to check a landlord’s record.
The ombudsman and housing standards
A Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, free for tenants to use, is planned, but the roadmap expects compulsory landlord membership only in 2028. A Decent Homes Standard for private rentals was proposed for 2035 or 2037, with the timetable to be confirmed after consultation, and the dates for applying Awaab’s Law to private homes are also still to be set.
For social housing tenants of housing associations, the abolition of section 21 follows later; the roadmap’s annex points to 2027.
The changes have been debated well beyond the property sector. During the Bill’s passage, ministers were warned that the rental reforms could limit access to higher education, as Westferry Times reported at the time, while pressure on housing in the capital remains acute, as our report on London’s temporary accommodation crisis showed.
This article is general information about the law in England, not legal advice. If you are facing eviction or a dispute with your landlord, contact your local council, Shelter or a qualified housing adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord still use a section 21 notice?
No. For private tenancies in England, section 21 “no-fault” evictions ended on 1 May 2026. A landlord now has to rely on a specific legal ground and serve the correct notice.
How much notice do I need to give to leave?
Two months, ending at the end of a rent period. Because tenancies are now periodic, you do not have to wait for a fixed term to finish.
How often can my rent go up?
Once a year, using a section 13 notice with at least two months’ warning. You can challenge an above-market increase at the First-tier Tribunal, and the higher rent is not payable until the tribunal decides.
Does the Renters’ Rights Act apply in Wales or Scotland?
The private tenancy reforms covered here apply in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate renting laws.
When will landlords have to register on the database?
Registration starts in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and is rolled out region by region, with every region’s deadline passed by 14 November 2027.
Sources: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: our roadmap (13 November 2025); GOV.UK, Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act (accessed October 2026); MHCLG, Renters’ Rights Act: Landlord Checklist (March 2026); BCP Council, Your rights as a tenant from 1 May 2026 (accessed October 2026); Bevan Brittan, RRA Phase 2: Register your rental property service and update on rent increase challenges (24 September 2026).
