Renter’s Rights Act for landlords

From the 1 May 2026, you’ll need to follow new rules. If a letting agent acts on your behalf, they will need to follow these rules too. 

It’s your responsibility to read the guidance in full. You must make the necessary changes to your letting practices to ensure you’re compliant with the new law.  

 Read the full landlord guidance on GOV.UK website 

 

Starting and ending tenancies 

Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notices will be abolished:  

You’ll no longer be able to use Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict your tenants. 

You’ll only be able to evict tenants when you have a specific, legally valid reason. This is known as a ‘possession ground’.   

Possession grounds will be extended to make it easier for landlords to evict tenants when they want to sell the property, move into the property or move in members of their family. 

The changes will also make it easier to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour.  

 

Fixed term tenancies

Fixed term tenancies will be banned.  

Most new and existing tenancies in the private rented sector will become assured periodic tenancies or ‘rolling tenancies'.   

This means renters will be able to stay in their property until they end the tenancy or until a landlord issues a valid notice or has a court/possession order.  

See GOV.UK guidance for landlords and letting agents on  tenancy agreements and grounds for possession  

 

Rent increases and payments

Rent increases will be limited to once per year.  

You’ll have to follow the new legal process for increasing the rent.   

You must give the tenant notice and details of the rent increase at least two months before it takes effect. 

 

Rental bidding

Rental bidding will be banned. You’ll need to include a specific price on any written property advertisement.   

You will not be allowed to ask for or accept an offer that’s higher.  

 

Advance rent  

You’ll only be able to request a maximum of one month’s rent in advance between all parties signing the tenancy and the tenancy starting.  

You won’t be able to accept any payment of rent before this period.  

After the tenancy has started, you cannot ask for rent to be paid before its due date. 

See GOV.UK guidance for landlords and letting agents on rent payments and deposits  and fees you can charge as part of a tenancy

 

Rental discrimination 

It’ll be illegal for you to discriminate against tenants who receive benefits or have children. 

This includes withholding information about a property (including it’s availability), preventing them from viewing it and refusing to grant a tenancy.   

See GOV.UK’s guidance for landlords on rental discrimination

 

Rights to request a pet 

You cannot unreasonably refuse a tenant’s request to have a pet.  

You’ll have to consider and respond to your tenant’s request within a set timeframe.  

You’ll have to provide valid reasons if you choose to refuse it.   

See GOV.UK’s guidance on if a tenant wants a pet to live with them

 

New requirements for tenancies

You’ll need to make sure that you give your tenant written information about the terms of their tenancy.    

For most tenancies that started before 1 May 2026  

You will not need to change or re-issue any existing written tenancy agreements. Instead, you’ll need to send your tenants a copy of the government-produced information sheet, either digitally or in print. 

You have until 31 May 2026 to send this to all your tenants.  

If there’s no written record of the tenancy terms, for example the tenancy is a verbal agreement you’ll need to provide tenants with a written record of specific terms of the agreement.  

See GOV.UK’s guidance on written information for your tenant 

For tenancies that start on or after 1 May 2026  

You’ll need to provide your tenants with certain information about the tenancy in writing. 

You could do this in a tenancy agreement.  

See GOV.UK’s  guidance on written information for your tenant of what must be included.