Landlords are bracing themselves for the effects of the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force on 1 May 2026.
The headline change is the abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, though the Act also introduces periodic tenancies, stronger rights for tenants to keep pets and sets new controls on rent increases.
The introduction of a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman to resolve landlord-tenant disputes, along with the New Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector, will be phased in.
More detailed information on the legislation can be found on the UK Government’s website.
Background
Tenant groups have pushed for rental reform for years, with the leading issue being Section 21 evictions, nicknamed ‘no fault’ evictions. Many have argued that if landlords can carry out an eviction without good grounds, they can take revenge on complaining tenants, for example if renters have a valid issue with the property that the landlord should fix.
This change is a long time coming. Theresa May, Prime Minister at the time, announced that Section 21 evictions would be scrapped as a Manifesto pledge all the way back in 2019. Multiple Conservative administrations dragged their feet on going through with the scrapping of the section, until the Renters Reform Bill was finally introduced to parliament in 2023.
Owing to back-and-forth debates in parliament, the bill’s progress ground to a halt, and ultimately failed to pass after then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a surprise election in the summer of 2024. After he lost to Keir Starmer’s Labour party in the July election a similar package of rental reforms was launched, which successfully passed Royal Assent in October 2025 as the Renters’ Rights Act.
Before the Act’s Implementation
From the end of December 2025 councils were granted increased powers to investigate landlords, courtesy of the Renters’ Rights Act.
This means they have the power to enter residential properties to investigate illegal evictions, check the condition of a property, and/or check an investor’s landlord database registration status. Meanwhile, business premises can be entered without a warrant if council officers want to gather relevant documents.
The End of Section 21
Many landlords with a problem tenant would have been advised to issue a Section 21 eviction notice before 1 May 2026. Now, they will be forced to use the Section 8 route. One expected side effect of the Act’s enforcement will be that the court system will struggle to cope with more landlords using the Section 8 route. This route may be used where tenants can be evicted if they fall into arrears, engage in anti-social behaviour, breach terms of the tenancy, or if the landlord wants to sell the property or have a family member move in.
Even with Section 21 in place, it has taken many months for landlords to serve an eviction notice, get a court appointment, escalate their case to the high court, and finally get a court-appointed bailiff to remove the tenant(s).
While the government is looking to reduce this issue by digitising the court systems, such improvements are likely to be gradual. It’s possible the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman could ease the burden on the courts by resolving landlord-tenant disputes without courts being required, though that rollout is expected to take time.
Updating Tenancy Agreements
Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) are now obsolete. This also applies to all existing ASTs which have become periodic tenancies as of 1 May.
On all new tenancies, landlords must set out the following terms: the cost of renting, payment periods (typically monthly), the deposit amount and where it will be protected, the notice periods for both parties (which cannot be more than 2 months for tenants), the landlord and tenant’s responsibilities, how the landlord will handle repairs, rent reviews and how the landlord will communicate.
Landlords were required to send their existing tenants a UK-government issued summary of what is changing by 1 April 2026.
Considering Pets
The Act strengthens tenants’ rights to request permission to keep pets in rented properties, meaning landlords will need to approach such requests more carefully than before. Blanket refusals are likely to become harder to justify, while new property listings can no longer be openly marketed on a ‘no pets’ basis. Landlords should be prepared to give reasonable grounds where permission is declined. In practical terms, landlords may wish to review tenancy agreements, consider whether insurance policies cover pet-related damage, and assess requests on a case-by-case basis. Clear communication and written records will be important if disagreements arise.
Checking Housing Standards
While ensuring a high quality of housing was worth doing prior to the regulations, it’s even more of a good idea for landlords to review the quality of their properties, seeing as councils have more power to crack down on poor quality homes.
The Decent Homes Standard, which has been in place in the social housing sector for some time, will be extended to the private rented sector from 2035, albeit in a revised form. Breaches are set to incur heavy fines. If tenants make complaints about the quality of their properties, it’s more important than ever for landlords to take them seriously and carry out an inspection.
Logging Communications
Landlords should log communications, repairs and the inspections, in case they need to show evidence of previous activities when in dispute with a tenant, or if they end up serving an eviction notice. Operating in an informal way could cause landlords issues down the line with the Act now in force.
Vetting Tenants Carefully
Given that it will be harder to evict a bad tenant under the Act, landlords need to do more to vet their tenants. This means checking references and scrutinising credentials thoroughly before deciding to give them the keys. If landlords use a third party like an agent to do this for them, they need to use a firm with solid credentials.
Raising Rents Responsibly
Landlords who want to raise the rent will need to fill out a Section 13 to apply for a rental increase, a form which already exists but which was rarely used before the enactment. Rents can now only be raised once a year.
When putting up rents, landlords need to be careful not to overcharge tenants. They will need to base their rental increases on a market-related basis, which can be achieved by evaluating comparables in their local area and postcode. If tenants believe the rental increase is above market rates, they have the right to challenge the rental increase at the First-Tier Tribunal. Careful consideration should be made by landlords before raising rents, as tribunals are estimated to last months before a decision is made and rents will remain at current prices while the tribunal is ongoing.
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