The Renter’s Rights Act 2025: What is Out and What is In
Back as early as May 2023, there were stirrings of a new bill for changing renter’s rights and an end to “no-fault” evictions via Section 21 Possession proceedings. After first being introduced in September 2024, the Renter’s Rights Bill officially received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. This means, taking immediate affect from 1 May 2026, the Renter’s Rights Act 2025 (“the RRA 2025”) will remove components that the English and Welsh populations have come to know about renting and introduce a new wave of stringent requirements, and further opportunities for landlords and tenants alike.
This article intends to set out what those who are intending to become landlords or tenants, who are existing landlords or tenants, and those who do not wish to be landlords or tenants any longer should be aware of and prepare appropriately for.
What is Out with the RRA 2025
The RRA 2025 shall disrupt and even remove many of the common occurrences seen in the current world of renting:
Fixed Term Tenancies
As of 1 May 2026, all existing tenancies will be automatically converted to periodic tenancies. This means tenancies shall roll on either a weekly or monthly basis. Either way, tenants will be able to give two months’ written notice at any time to terminate their tenancies.
Landlords will be required to serve tenants with a written statement that adequately sets out the terms of the periodic tenancy. This ensures both parties are aware of their obligations and rights under the tenancy.
Though fixed term tenancies are gone, landlords are still restricted from utilising a possession notice within the first twelve months of the tenancy where they wish to recover the property for themselves (or a close family member) to live in or to sell the property. Landlord will only be able to serve a possession notice within the first twelve months where there is a breach of tenancy or applicable situation under Grounds 2 to 17 of Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988.
No More “No Fault” Evictions
A major and controversial change occurring with the RRA 2025 is the removal of the landlord’s right to serve notice pursuant to Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (“Section 21 Notice”) for a “no-fault” eviction of their tenant(s). Many landlords rely on Section 21 Notices to recover possession of their property through no fault of their tenant. Their reasoning for recovery of the property could be a desire to sell the property or some other alternative personal matters.
A Section 21 Notice cannot be served within the fixed term of a tenancy (unless there is a break clause within the tenancy agreement), must provide tenants with two months’ notice to vacate the property by a specific date, and cannot be relied upon without stringent compliance with deregulation and deposit requirements.
Section 21 Notices allowed tenants to seek alternative housing knowing they were not told to leave through any breach or action of their own doing. Section 21 Notices assist tenants in avoiding being deemed to have made themselves “intentionally homeless”, increasing the likelihood of being assisted by local authorities to find suitable and affordable housing.
However, with the option for “no-fault” eviction removed, landlords must have valid reasoning for seeking to recover their property and rely on the existing and additional grounds for possession.
If you are looking to take advantage of Section 21 Notices prior to 1 May 2026, our team can assist.
Bidding Wars, Discrimination of families with children or benefit receivers, and Refusal for Pets
Landlords and managing agents can no longer accept higher bids on rent from prospective tenants. Landlords must now quote an “asking rent” and cannot accept any figure higher than stated. This will eliminate the unfair competition between tenants to see who can afford to live at the property more.
Furthermore, landlords will no longer be able include terms that either directly or indirectly discriminate against renting to families with children, benefit receivers, and/or persons with pets.
Where a property is not adequate to accommodating families or benefit receivers, it will be permitted to restrict its occupancy to appropriate persons, however, this must be proportionate and achieves a legitimate aim, such as avoiding overcrowding or inability to ensure payment of the asking rent.
Should a prospective tenant wish to move in with their pet, and they make a reasonable request, landlords cannot unreasonably withhold their consent to allow the pet to reside at the property. Where a tenant has been denied the opportunity to reside with their pet, the tenant will be able to bring a complaint to challenge the decision to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, which will be discussed in further depth in the later section.
What is In with the RRA 2025
Rolling Periodic Tenancies
As of 1 May 2026, all existing tenancies will become periodic rolling tenancies. This means greater flexibility for tenants as they will be able to provide two months’ notice to terminate their tenancy at any point.
As discussed above, from 1 May 2026, a tenant is further protected from eviction by their landlord (where their landlord wishes to recover the property to move themselves or a close family member into the property, or to sell the property) within the first 12 months of their tenancy.
To ensure both parties are aware of the terms of their periodic tenancy, landlords shall be required to provide their tenants with a written statement of terms for their reference.
Additional and Amended Grounds for Eviction
Previously, and until 1 May 2026, landlords wishing to recover their property through no fault of their tenant (but for personal reasons such as selling the property, etc.) can utilise Section 21 Notices to evict their tenants. Past 1 May 2026, landlords may rely on the amended Ground 1, where themselves or a close family member wishes to move into the property, and the newly implemented Ground 1A and 1B, for when the landlord wishes to sell the property.
Notices served with reliance on either of those grounds must provide the tenant four months’ notice of a specific date for their vacation from the property. They must also show valid reasoning for why they should be ordered possession (i.e., the property will be their primary residence to live closer to work, or they have already listed the property on the market, etc.).
Furthermore, tenants who have fallen into rent arrears now have a three-month threshold to meet in order for a landlord to be awarded mandatory possession of the property. This is said to provide tenants with more opportunity to reduce the arrears and better manage their finances before facing eviction.
Notice periods for grounds concerning rent arrears has also increased from two weeks to four weeks. Furthermore, notices must now expire in line with end of a rent period. This means landlords will have to prepare accordingly when wishing to serve their notices to avoid waiting surplus time for the expiry of their notices.
Deposit Protection
Should a deposit be taken in connection with a tenancy, the landlord has 30 days from the date of receipt of the deposit to protect the deposit within a deposit scheme, provide compliant prescribed information, and the deposit scheme’s supporting documentation. Any failure to complete any of the aforementioned, a landlord can not validly serve a Section 21 Notice.
Currently, a deposit breach does not affect the validity of a Section 8 Notice (though it does entail a possible counterclaim and offset of any existing rent arrears). However, past 1 May 2026, deposit requirements will now also affect the validity of Section 8 Notices for possession. Therefore, landlords are highly advised to ensure that if they wish to take a deposit, that they comply with all necessary requirements to avoid any potential invalidity in their notice for possession and avoid risk of a counterclaim.
Registration to the Private Rented Sector Database/National Landlord Database and the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman
The RRA 2025 will now require landlords to be registered on to the Private Rented Sector Database/National Landlord Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
The Private Rented Sector Database/National Landlord Database will provide landlords and tenants alike a library of documents that shall provide updates to the renting sector, guides to renting a property and letting out a property, and useful guidance should either have any queries.
A landlord’s registration with the Private Rented Sector Database/National Landlord Database will become a legal requirement, as well as the registration of their property. Without registering either themselves or the property, landlords face considerable penalties especially should they act to advertise for prospective tenants or even rent to tenants.
Landlords will also be required to register with The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, which is a platform that seeks to be an impartial service for tenants to make complaints about their landlord’s conduct or therein lack of action. The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will determine the outcome of the complaint which could result in either dismissal of the complaint or, if found valid, remedial action, fines, or even expulsion from being a landlord.
Landlords would be wise to look into registering with the Private Rented Sector Database/National Landlord Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman prior to 1 May 2026 to ensure they are validly registered to avoid any surprise fines or charges.
Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law
Landlords have obligations to tend to the property and see to any reported maintenance issues, and tenants have obligations to treat properties in a tenant-like manner and see to the small jobs around the property that a reasonable person can tend to (such as changing lightbulbs, etc.). As of 1 May 2026, landlords will have to ensure compliance with obligations found in the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law.
The Decent Homes Standard currently applies to social housing and ensures that accommodations are let with the minimum standards of a decent living abode. This means that the properties are let in reasonable repair, have working amenities, and there are no hazards present. The private renting sector will soon be subject to these same minimum standards when renting out their properties.
Since October 2025, Awaab’s Law has stood as a reminder to all responsible to attend to reports of damp and mould promptly to avoid incidents of illness and even death. Though landlords are already held to the obligation of attending to reports of disrepair within their properties within a reasonable time, they will soon also be subject to the tight perimeters found within Awaab’s Law to attend to reported damp and mould issues. Not only will this avoid any prolonged damage to not only the property and the tenant’s health, but it will also mitigate situations where tenants fail to report mould in order to concoct claims for disrepair.
Section 13 Only Rent Increases
Currently, the rent can be increased by service of a Section 13 Notice, by consent between the landlord and tenant, or in line with any relevant clauses inserted with the tenancy agreement. However, past 1 May 2026, the only way for landlords to increase the rent will be by serving a valid Section 13 Notice. A Section 13 Notice may only be served once every twelve months and must be served with a valid method of service pursuant to the tenancy agreement, or in lieu of a specific clause, Section 196 of the Law of Property Act 1925.
As landlords will only have one opportunity every twelve months to increase, they must ensure they serve the notice correctly and to an amount that is deemed reasonable in line with the current market rate for a property of its nature. Where the tenant objects to the amount of the increase or even the increase itself, they may bring a claim to the First Tier Tribunal to challenge the increase.
What Landlords should do ahead of the RRA 2025
Ahead of 1 May 2026, landlords should prepare for the above changes by understanding what they can no longer do as landlords and what shall be required of them. Tenants will also want to understand what new flexibilities and opportunities are being provided to them. In complying with the new requirements of the RRA 2025, landlords and tenants will mitigate risks of fines, prolonged disputes, and stressful tenancy relationships.
If you are a landlord or tenant wanting further advice about the upcoming changes to renting, please contact our team who will be able to assist.
Web site content note:
This is not legal advice; it is intended to provide information of general interest about current legal issues.
For more information, see our landlord and tenant service pages.