New Tenant Rights Under the Renters' Rights Act: A Landlord's Guide

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the biggest shake-up of private renting in England in a generation, and Phase 1 came into force on 1 May 2026. If you let property in England, the new tenant rights under the Renters' Rights Act now apply to every single one of your tenancies — including ones that were assured shorthold tenancies the day before. This guide sets out exactly what changed, what is now banned, and what a small landlord actually needs to do about it.

TL;DR

From 1 May 2026, all private tenancies in England are open-ended assured periodic tenancies; Section 21 'no-fault' evictions are abolished; rent can only be raised once a year via a Section 13 Form 4A notice; landlords cannot demand more than one month's rent in advance; blanket bans on pets, children and benefits claimants are unlawful; and bidding above the advertised rent is prohibited. Existing tenants must have received the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. Fines run to £7,000 for civil breaches and up to £40,000 for serious offences, per the government's enforcement guidance.

What actually changed on 1 May 2026?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and is being rolled out in stages, with the bulk of the tenancy reforms live from 1 May 2026 (MHCLG roadmap coverage). The government's own Guide to the Renters' Rights Act frames the change as the end of the assured shorthold system in England — no more fixed terms, no more no-fault evictions, and a new mandatory database and ombudsman coming behind it.

For a landlord with a handful of terraces, the practical effect is that the levers you used to rely on — the fixed term as a discipline device, the Section 21 as the polite way out — are gone. What replaces them is a system where every tenancy runs until either the tenant serves two months' notice or you can prove a Section 8 ground in court. Everything else in the Act flows from that reset.

Which new tenant rights matter most in practice?

Here is the honest short list of new tenant rights under the Renters' Rights Act that will change how you run a tenancy day to day.

The end of fixed terms and Section 21

All assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and Section 21 has been abolished. Tenants can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving two months' written notice at any point, as confirmed in the tenant overview on GOV.UK. Landlords, by contrast, must serve a Section 8 notice on a defined ground — typically four months' notice for landlord-circumstance grounds like selling or moving in, and there is a 12-month protected period at the start of every tenancy during which those grounds cannot be used. If the tenant does not leave, you must prove the ground in court. See our detailed walk-through in How to End a Tenancy Now Section 21 Is Abolished, the ground-by-ground Section 8 grounds guide, and Periodic Tenancies Explained for how the new tenancy structure works.

Rent increases once a year, on a Form 4A

Rent can only rise once every 12 months, cannot rise at all in the first year of a new tenancy, and must be proposed on a Section 13 notice using Form 4A with at least two months' notice. Any rent-review clause in a tenancy agreement is now unenforceable. Tenants can challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal on the basis it exceeds the market rent. The tribunal can confirm or reduce your figure but not raise it: the government's Guide to the Renters' Rights Act says tenants 'never pay more than what the landlord asked for'. Our worked example lives at How to Calculate a Defensible Rent Increase.

One month's rent in advance — no more

The Act amends the Tenant Fees Act 2019 so that landlords cannot require or accept any rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and can only require up to one month's rent (or 28 days for sub-monthly tenancies) in the window between signing and move-in. GOV.UK's rent payments guidance is unambiguous on this. That has bitten hardest for landlords who used '6 months up front' as a workaround for weak referencing on self-employed or overseas tenants — that workaround no longer exists. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 deposit caps still apply alongside this limit. The detail is in Rent in Advance: The New Limits and our deposit protection guide.

A right to request a pet

Every assured periodic tenancy now has an implied term giving the tenant the right to request a pet in writing. The right sits in a new section 16A of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and the tenant's request must include a description of the pet. The landlord has 28 days to respond in writing and cannot unreasonably refuse; if further information is needed, the landlord can ask for it and then has the remainder of the 28 days or 7 days from the tenant's reply, whichever is longer, per GOV.UK's pet guidance. Once you say yes, you cannot change your mind. We cover the workflow in Tenant Pet Requests: New Rules for Landlords.

No discrimination against families or benefits claimants

It is now unlawful to have a blanket 'no DSS', 'no benefits' or 'no children' policy in an advert, a tenancy clause or a referencing decision. Any such clause is void. The full treatment is in The No DSS / No Children Discrimination Ban.

No bidding above the advertised rent

Every advert must state a specific rent, and landlords and agents cannot ask for, encourage or accept a bid above that figure — the government's implementation roadmap is explicit on this. If two applicants both offer the asking rent, choose between them on lawful criteria such as affordability and references. You cannot run an auction. See Rental Bidding Wars Banned.

Old regime vs new regime at a glance

The Ground 8 change is easy to miss and expensive to misread: Shelter's technical briefing on rent arrears evictions confirms the mandatory threshold is now three months' arrears at both service and hearing.

Which landlord practices are now effectively banned?

The Act does not just add rights on the tenant side — it invalidates a set of clauses and behaviours that were common practice under the ASTs. Any of the following in a new tenancy agreement is either void or an offence:

• Fixed-term commitments longer than one rental period.
• Claiming to let on a fixed term, for example by adding an end date. The enforcement guidance lists this as a breach with a civil penalty of up to £7,000, so drop 'minimum 12 months' wording from adverts too.
• Rent-review or rent-escalator clauses.
• 'No pets', 'no children' or 'no benefits' blanket bans.
• Clauses requiring rent in advance beyond the first month.
• Break clauses being used as a stand-in for Section 21.
• 'Notice to quit' documents purporting to end an assured tenancy — the government's enforcement guidance treats a purported notice to quit, or an attempt to end the tenancy orally, as a breach carrying a civil penalty of up to £7,000 — so a WhatsApp saying 'you need to be out by the 30th' is a real risk (Housing Act 1988, s16E and s16I).

Our full list is in Banned Tenancy Clauses Under the Renters' Rights Act.

What must landlords have given tenants by 31 May 2026?

Every existing tenant with a written agreement should have received the government-produced Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, downloaded directly from GOV.UK — a link is not enough, the actual PDF must be handed over. Tenants on purely verbal agreements should instead have received a full Written Statement of Terms (see our written statement guide). For any tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, the Written Statement must be given before the tenancy is entered into. Miss it and the civil penalty is up to £7,000.

What happens if a landlord ignores the new rules?

Enforcement sits with local councils, backed by the First-tier Tribunal and, once it launches (expected 2028), the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman. The enforcement guidance sets civil penalties of up to £7,000 for most breaches and up to £40,000, as an alternative to prosecution, for serious offences — for example, relet or remarketing a property within the 12-month restricted period after using Ground 1 or 1A, or knowingly using a possession ground the court would not grant. Rent Repayment Orders have also been extended to cover these new offences.

A worked example

Take a Manchester landlord with a three-bed terrace let at £1,200 pcm. On 15 May 2026 she re-lets it using her old AST template: a 12-month fixed term, two months' rent in advance and a 'no pets' clause, and no Written Statement of Terms. The tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy by operation of law whatever the paper says. Purporting to let on a fixed term is a breach with a civil penalty of up to £7,000; requiring the second month's rent in advance is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act as amended, with a penalty of up to £5,000; the 'no pets' clause cannot override the tenant's statutory right to ask; and failing to give the Written Statement before the tenancy began is a further breach of up to £7,000. Total exposure on a single tenancy: comfortably into five figures — from paperwork alone. (Tenancies signed and rent paid before 1 May 2026 were not caught by the rent-in-advance rules.)

The Renters' Rights Act does not just change how you evict — it changes what you can put in the tenancy agreement in the first place.

Which tenant rights are still to come?

Two further protections arrive on a later timetable. The government's Guide to the Renters' Rights Act confirms that Awaab's Law will be extended to the private rented sector, setting fixed timeframes to investigate and fix serious hazards such as damp and mould. A reformed Decent Homes Standard will also apply to private rentals. Neither is in force for private landlords yet, but both are worth preparing for now: see our Awaab's Law guide, the Decent Homes Standard explainer and the Renters' Rights Act timeline.

What should a small landlord actually do now?

1. Replace your tenancy template. Any new tenancy from 1 May 2026 must be an assured periodic tenancy with a compliant Written Statement of Terms. Do not reuse an old AST.
2. Confirm every existing tenant has the Information Sheet. If you cannot evidence service by 31 May 2026, serve it now and keep proof — an email trail is not enough on its own.
3. Review adverts and referencing. Strip out 'no DSS', 'no children', 'professional only' and any language that invites offers above the asking rent.
4. Build a pet-request process. A short written form, a 28-day diary reminder and a template reply letter will keep you inside the statutory window.
5. Move rent increases onto Form 4A. Diarise anniversaries; drop any rent-review clause you were relying on.
6. Get ready for the PRS database. Registration launches on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and rolling out over 12 months; every landlord actively letting must be registered by 14 November 2027 (GOV.UK). Once the requirement applies, possession under some Section 8 grounds will require it.

The Act leaves your existing safety and letting obligations (gas, electrical, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, EPC, Right to Rent, deposit protection) unchanged in substance. For that wider compliance picture, see our Renters' Rights Act Compliance Checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the new tenant rights apply to tenancies signed before 1 May 2026?

Yes. Almost all existing assured and assured shorthold tenancies automatically converted to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and the new rules apply from that date. The only exception is where a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice was served before 1 May and possession proceedings are still ongoing — those tenancies remain ASTs until the proceedings conclude, per GOV.UK's tenant overview.

Can a landlord still refuse a tenant's request for a pet?

Yes, but only if the refusal is reasonable and given in writing within 28 days. Examples of reasonable refusal include a superior lease that bans pets, or a small HMO room let where the space is unsuitable. A blanket 'no pets' clause in the tenancy agreement is no longer enforceable on its own, according to GOV.UK guidance.

How much rent can a landlord ask for up front now?

After the tenancy agreement is signed and before the tenancy starts, a landlord can ask for a maximum of one month's rent in advance for a monthly tenancy, or 28 days' rent for weekly or shorter periods. Nothing at all can be required or accepted before signing. Once the tenancy has started, the landlord cannot require rent to be paid before its agreed due date.

What happens to a fixed term I signed before 1 May 2026?

Any remaining fixed term ended on 1 May 2026 and the tenancy became periodic. The tenant is no longer locked in until the original end date and can serve two months' notice at any time. You cannot enforce the fixed term or a break clause as a way to end the tenancy — you now need a Section 8 ground.

What is the notice period for rent arrears under Ground 8 now?

From 1 May 2026, the mandatory Ground 8 threshold is three months' arrears (or 13 weeks for weekly tenancies) and the notice period before you can apply to court is four weeks — up from two months / eight weeks and two weeks' notice under the old regime.

Can a landlord still evict a tenant after the Renters' Rights Act?

Yes, but only by serving a Section 8 notice citing a valid statutory ground and, if the tenant does not leave, proving that ground in court. Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished on 1 May 2026.

How much notice does a tenant have to give to leave?

Two months' written notice. GOV.UK's tenant overview says the notice should be given on the day rent is due or the day before, and that landlord and tenant can agree in writing to a shorter notice period or agree to end the tenancy earlier.

This article is general information for landlords in England, not legal advice. If you are facing a specific dispute — a possession claim, a discrimination complaint, or a council enforcement notice — get advice from a solicitor or a landlord association before you act.