The Renters’ Rights Act 2025: What Every Residential Landlord Needs to Know

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (“The Act”) is the biggest change to housing law since the Housing Act 1988. For residential landlords, this means important changes to how tenancies operate, how you can regain possession, and how rent increases work. The first phase starts on 1 May 2026, so there are steps you should take before then.

Together with Lawrence McDonald and Tanita Cross from Exchange Chambers, we recently held a webinar to help our clients understand and prepare for these changes.

If you missed the webinar, here are the main points you need to know.

What’s changing and when

The Act will roll out in three phases. Phase 1 is the most urgent for landlords.

Phase 1: 1 May 2026

• All tenancies in the private rented sector will be ‘assured periodic’ tenancies. Fixed-term and shorthold tenancies will be abolished.
• Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will end. The last day to serve a valid Section 21 notice is 30 April 2026.
• There will be many more grounds for possession under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
• New rules will also cover rent increases, paying rent in advance, rental bidding, keeping pets, and discrimination.

Phase 2: from late 2026

A mandatory Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database and a PRS Landlord Ombudsman will be set up. Landlords will have to join and fund both. You likely won’t need to join the Ombudsman scheme until 2028.

Phase 3: longer term (dates TBC)

The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, which currently apply to social housing, will be extended to cover private landlords. 

The end of Section 21

Landlords have often used Section 21 to regain possession without needing a specific reason. From 1 May 2026, this option will no longer be available.

If you plan to use a Section 21 notice, you must serve it properly by 30 April 2026. After serving, you need to start possession proceedings within six months of the notice date or by 31 July 2026, whichever is sooner.

Section 8: more grounds, longer notice periods

With Section 21 gone, Section 8 will be the main way to regain possession. The Act increases the number of grounds from 17 to 37. Here are the key points about the most common grounds.

Rent arrears

The threshold for ground 8 (mandatory possession based on arrears) increases:

• For monthly rent: from 2 months’ arrears to 3 months’ arrears.
• For weekly rent: from 8 weeks’ arrears to 13 weeks’ arrears.

The notice period for mandatory grounds 8 and discretionary grounds 10 and 11 will go up from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. This means you can only start proceedings after 3 months or 13 weeks of arrears plus 4 weeks’ notice.

Selling your property (new ground 1A) 

A new mandatory ground will enable landlords to regain possession if they plan to sell the property. There are important conditions that will apply:

• You must give your tenants 4 months’ notice.
• Notice cannot be served until after the first anniversary of the tenancy.
• You cannot re-let the property within 12 months of serving the Section 8 notice.

Moving in (amended ground 1)

The existing ground that enables landlords to recover possession if they or their spouse or civil partner intends to move into the property will be amended and broadened. The key features are:

• You must give your tenants 4 months’ notice.
• Notice cannot be served until after the first anniversary of the tenancy.
• The ground now extends beyond the landlord and their spouse or civil partner to a wider range of family members, including cohabitees, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents and grandparents.
• The property must become the occupier’s only or principal home.
• You cannot re-let within 12 months of serving the Section 8 notice.
• Written prior notice that you may use this ground is no longer required.

Student lettings (new mandatory Ground 4A)

HMO landlords letting to full-time students can use Ground 4A to regain possession at the end of the academic year, provided all of the following conditions are met:

• All tenants were full-time students.
• You intend to let to students in the future.
• The tenancy was signed less than 6 months before the move-in date.
• The property is an HMO or part of an HMO.
• Prior notice that you may use this ground was given in the tenancy agreement.
• 4 months’ notice is given, with the notice period ending between 1 June and 30 September.

Procedural points for Section 8 notices

From 1 May 2026, landlords must use the new Form 3A (due to be published before that date). The notice must include the full wording of every ground relied upon and the correct notice period. County Court possession proceedings and the Possession Claim Online Service (for rent arrears claims) will continue as before.

Rent increases

The Act makes it mandatory for landlords to follow the Section 13 procedure to increase rent.. Landlords will only be able to raise the rent once per year, and only to the market rate. The required process is:

• Use Form 4A (due to be published on or after 1 May 2026).
• Give at least 2 months’ notice.
• Any existing rent review clauses or automatic increase provisions in tenancy agreements will have no legal effect from 1 May 2026.

Tenants will be able to challenge a rent increase for being above market rate to the First-tier Tribunal (FtT). 

Pets

Landlords will be required to consider written requests from tenants to keep a pet and respond within 28 days. If you request more information about the pet, the tenant must provide it within 7 days. Consent cannot be unreasonably refused, and a tenant can challenge a refusal through the PRS Ombudsman or the courts.

Rental discrimination

From 1 May 2026, landlords must not refuse to let to someone, or make it unreasonably difficult for them to rent, on the basis that they have children or receive benefits (or that you believe they do). This applies at every stage: providing information about the property, arranging viewings, and entering into a tenancy agreement. These provisions will also catch poor treatment designed to discourage someone from renting.

Civil penalties and enforcement

Enforcement will be much stronger. Local housing authorities and county councils can issue civil penalties for breaches that happen on or after 1 May 2026:

• Up to £7,000 for initial or minor non-compliance.
• Up to £40,000 for serious, persistent, or repeat non-compliance – or criminal prosecution as an alternative.

Since 27 December 2025, local authorities have had new investigatory powers. They can now require information from third parties, such as banks and accountants, and enter business premises (and in more limited circumstances, residential premises) to gather evidence.

From 1 May 2026, Rent Repayment Orders (“RRO”) will cover more breaches and offences, and the maximum amount that a landlord can be ordered to repay has doubled to 24 months’ rent. Tenants and local authorities will have 24 months to apply for an RRO, instead of only 12 months. Penalties can apply to the immediate or superior landlord, anyone acting for the landlord, company directors, and others who manage or control a property.

Tenancy agreement updates

The Act sets different rules for existing and new tenancies:

For existing tenancies (started before 1 May 2026): if you have a written agreement, you do not need to replace it. But you must give all named tenants an Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. If the tenancy is only verbal, you must give written details of the key terms by the same date.

For new tenancies (starting on or after 1 May 2026): you must give tenants certain required information in writing, usually as part of the tenancy agreement. The final list of what you need to provide will be published in March 2026.

Deposits

Before you serve a Section 8 notice, you must show that the deposit is protected, you have met all scheme requirements, and you gave the tenant the required information. If not, you must show that the deposit has been returned to the tenant. These rules do not apply if you are using the antisocial behaviour grounds (7A and 14). Deposits must still only be taken as money.

Your immediate to-do list

With the 1 May 2026 deadline coming up, here’s what you should do now:

• If you intend to use Section 21, serve the notice correctly on or before 30 April 2026.
• If you intend to use Section 8, serve the notice correctly on or before 30 April 2026 to benefit from the current (lower) thresholds and notice periods.
• Check your deposit compliance: make sure deposits are protected, scheme rules are followed, and tenants have received the required information.
• Give all existing named tenants the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. Keep clear records of when you did this.

Speak to us

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 brings many changes, and this article covers the main points. If you have questions about how these changes affect your properties or tenancies, our team can help. Contact us to discuss your situation.