The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is designed to make renting fairer and safer. It aims to give renters greater security while ensuring landlords meet clear legal obligations.
The first phase of the Act, relating to tenancy reform, will come into force on 1 May 2026. The rest of the Act will follow in two further phases.
What this means for landlords
We will have expanded powers to investigate landlords and enforce compliance. Penalties and fines for breaches of rental regulations will be significantly increased.
To prepare, you should:
- stay informed by regularly checking updates on GOV.UK
- review your property portfolio and identify any areas that require upgrades or compliance adjustments
- update tenancy agreements to align with the new legal requirements
- conduct regular property inspections to ensure ongoing compliance
- implement a clear record-keeping system to track compliance and avoid penalties
- engage with professional landlord associations to stay informed and receive expert guidance
Tenant guidance
Further guidance for tenants will be issued by the Government in April 2026 and will be uploaded to this page.
Phasing of the Act
The first phase of the Act, relating to tenancy reform, will come into force on 1 May 2026. The rest of the Act will follow in 2 further phases.
Phase 1
- Landlords will no longer be able to use Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, often referred to as ‘no fault evictions’, to evict their tenants. This will not apply to the social rented sector until Phase 2.
- New and existing tenancies in the private rented sector will become Assured Periodic Tenancies. This means that tenants will be able to stay in their property for as long as they want, or until their Landlord issues serves a valid Section 8 Notice. The most commons reasons for issuing a Section 8 Notice to a tenant includes rent arrears, late payment of rent, breach of tenancy terms, damage to a Landlord’s property and nuisance or anti-social behaviour.
- Tenants will be able to end their tenancy at any time, by giving 2 months’ notice.
- Landlords will only be able to evict tenants when they have a valid reason. Possession grounds will be extended to make it easier for Landlords to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour, or who are in serious, persistent rent arrears.
- Rent increases will only be able to happen once a year and Landlords will have to follow the revised section 13 procedure by providing the tenant written notice at least 2 months before the increase takes effect.
- Landlords and Letting Agents will not be able to ask for, encourage or accept an offer that is higher than the advertised rent. They will not be allowed to accept more than 1 months’ rent in advance.
- Landlords and Letting Agents will not be able to do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property, or prevent them from renting it, because they have children or are in receipt of benefits. This includes withholding property information, preventing someone from viewing it or refusing to grant a tenancy.
- Landlords will have to consider any request for the tenant to have a pet and will have to give valid reasons if they refuse the request.
- Civil Penalties will be expanded, with a new requirement for the Council to report on enforcement activity. Rent Repayment Orders will be extended to superior Landlords, the maximum penalty will be doubled and repeat offenders will be required to pay the maximum amount.
Phase 2 – expected late 2026
A Private Rented Sector database and Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will be introduced in 2 stages:
Stage 1: Regional rollout of the database for Landlords and Local Councils
- Signing up to the Private Rented Sector database will be mandatory for all Landlords. An annual fee will be payable; the exact amount is not yet known.
- It is anticipated that the Landlord will be required to provide their contact details, the property details including full address, number of bedrooms, whether it is furnished etc. and all gas, electric and energy performance certificates.
Stage 2: Further rollout of the database and introduction of the Ombudsman
- Public access and data sharing will be enabled following the launch of Landlord registration.
- The Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will be established. This will provide a redress service for private rented sector tenants when things go wrong. It will support Landlords with tools, guidance and training on handling complaints from tenants early.
- The Ombudsman scheme will be mandatory for Private Rented Sector Landlords and will be funded through a charging model introduced for Landlords to pay into.
- Development of the Ombudsman scheme will be over 2 stages, with the first happening 12-18 months before implementation. During this stage a scheme administrator will be chosen by the Secretary of State. The second stage will require Landlords to become members, and this is anticipated to be from 2028 onwards.
Phase 3
The timescale of the introduction of Phase 3 is to be confirmed by the Government.
- The introduction of a Decent Home Standard will ensure all Private Rented Sector properties meet a minimum standard of housing quality and provide the Council with powers to take enforcement action if the Private Rented Sector property fails to meet it.
- The proposal is for the Decent Home Standard to be introduced from 2035; however, consultation responses are still being reviewed and a final decision is yet to be made.
- The consultation considered plans to require all Private Rented Sector properties in England and Wales to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards of C or equivalent by 2030. Further details are anticipated in the Government’s response to the consultation.
- Awaab’s Law will be extended to the Private Rented Sector, setting clear legally enforceable timeframes within which Landlords must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards.