New Tenant Rights Under the Renters' Rights Act: What Landlords Can No Longer Do

If you let a property in England, the rulebook you learned has been rewritten. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and the bulk of its tenancy reforms came into force on 1 May 2026. This guide is the umbrella view of the new tenant rights under the Renters' Rights Act — what tenants can now do, what landlords can no longer do, and where to dig deeper into each rule.

TL;DR — the new tenant rights, in five sentences

From 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy in England is an assured periodic tenancy with no fixed end date, and Section 21 'no-fault' evictions are gone — landlords must use a Section 8 ground and, if contested, prove it in court. Tenants gained a statutory right to request a pet (which a landlord cannot unreasonably refuse), protection from discrimination for having children or claiming benefits, and a ban on rental bidding above the advertised price. Rent can only be raised once every 12 months using Form 4A with two months' notice, and the tenant can challenge an above-market increase at the First-tier Tribunal. Tenants can end the tenancy on two months' notice at any time. Local councils can impose penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches and £40,000 for offences, per the government's enforcement guidance.

What is the Renters' Rights Act and when did it take effect?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the single biggest reform of private renting in England since the Housing Act 1988. According to the government's Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, the Act affects roughly 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords. Phase 1 — covering the new tenancy structure, eviction reform, pets, discrimination, bidding and rent increases — came into force on 1 May 2026. The Private Rented Sector database is scheduled to launch in late 2026, and mandatory sign-up to the PRS Ombudsman follows in 2028.

The simplest way to think about it: every assured tenancy in England is now open-ended, every eviction needs a reason, and several old habits are now fineable.

What can landlords no longer do? The headline changes

The table below maps the seven biggest new tenant rights to what each one stops a landlord doing. Each row links to the dedicated spoke article for the detail.

The rest of this guide walks through each in plain English.

Tenancy structure: fixed terms are gone

Under the government's tenant overview, most existing assured shorthold tenancies automatically converted into assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and any new private tenancy agreed after that date is periodic from day one. There is no longer such a thing as a 6- or 12-month minimum lock-in. The tenant can serve two months' notice to leave at any time, with the end date aligned to a rent period.

For landlords, this means budgeting for higher turnover risk in the early months of a let — and treating any 'fixed term' clause in an old template as void. Marketing a property as 'minimum 12 months' is a breach: per the enforcement guidance, claiming to let on a fixed term attracts a penalty of up to £7,000.

Eviction: Section 21 is gone, Section 8 is the only route

Section 21 no-fault eviction has been abolished. To regain possession a landlord must serve a Section 8 notice citing a specific statutory ground — for example rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, the landlord selling, or the landlord moving in — and, if the tenant does not leave, prove that ground in court. For a full ground-by-ground breakdown see our Section 8 grounds guide.

Right to request a pet

The Act inserts a new section 16A into the Housing Act 1988, giving tenants a statutory right to request to keep a pet. The full text sits in section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on legislation.gov.uk.

In practice that means:

1. Tenant request must be in writing and include a description of the pet, per the government landlord pet guidance.
2. You have 28 days to respond in writing — approve, refuse with reasons, or ask for further information.
3. If you ask for more information, you get an additional 7 days from the date the tenant provides it (or the remainder of the 28, whichever is later).
4. Blanket 'no pets' clauses are unenforceable. A refusal must be reasonable on the facts — for example, a superior landlord's lease prohibits pets, or the property is genuinely unsuitable.

Discrimination: 'No DSS' and 'No children' are unlawful

The Act makes it unlawful for landlords and agents to refuse a tenancy, or treat someone less favourably, because they have children or claim housing-related benefits. The government tenant overview is explicit: a landlord cannot refuse to rent to a tenant on benefits or with children. This applies to adverts, application forms, referencing criteria and verbal conversations with prospective tenants. For practical rewording of common policies, see our No DSS / no children guide.

Ban on rental bidding

Landlords and agents must include a specific price in any written advertisement and cannot accept or encourage offers above that figure. If two tenants both apply at the asking rent, you choose between them on lawful criteria (affordability, references) — you cannot run an auction. The full mechanics are in our rental bidding wars article.

Rent increases: once a year, Form 4A, challengeable

Rent can be increased only once in any 12-month period, and not at all in the first 12 months of a new tenancy. The landlord must use the prescribed Form 4A and give at least two months' notice. The tenant can refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal if it exceeds the open market rent. The tribunal can confirm or reduce — but not increase — the proposed figure. See our Section 13 rent increase guide for the procedure and our tribunal preparation guide if a tenant challenges.

Cap on rent in advance and deposit

The Act limits how much rent a landlord can take up front, and deposit caps from the Tenant Fees Act 2019 continue to apply. The detail is in our rent-in-advance article and our deposit protection guide.

Property condition: Awaab's Law and the Decent Homes Standard

Two further tenant rights are coming into force on a delayed timetable but should be on every landlord's radar. The government's guide confirms that Awaab's Law will be extended to the private rented sector, imposing fixed timeframes to investigate and remedy serious hazards like damp and mould. A reformed Decent Homes Standard will also be extended to private rentals. Start preparing now using our Awaab's Law guide and Decent Homes Standard explainer.

What hasn't changed?

It is just as important to know what the Act left alone. Your existing safety obligations — gas, electrical, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, EPC, Right to Rent, deposit protection — are unchanged in substance, though the consequences of getting them wrong have escalated. The Act adds to existing rules; it does not replace the Housing Act 1988 or your safety-certificate calendar. For the full compliance picture see our Renters' Rights Act compliance checklist.

What should a small landlord actually do this month?

1. Confirm every tenant has the Information Sheet. All existing tenants should have received the government-published Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. If you missed the deadline, serve it now and document delivery.
2. Replace your tenancy template. Any clause referring to a fixed term, a blanket no-pets ban, 'no DSS', 'no children', contractual rent reviews, or more than one month's rent in advance is now either unenforceable or a breach. See our banned clauses guide and our written statement guide.
3. Set up a pet-request workflow. Decide today how you will receive, log, evaluate and respond to written requests inside the 28-day window.
4. Plan rent reviews around the 12-month rule. Diarise the earliest valid increase date for every tenancy, and use Form 4A.
5. Diarise the PRS database and ombudsman milestones. Registration on the property portal opens in late 2026; ombudsman sign-up follows in 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Can I refuse a tenant's pet request?

Yes, if the refusal is reasonable on the facts of that request — for example, your head lease prohibits pets, or the property is genuinely unsuitable. You must respond in writing within 28 days (with a possible 7-day extension if you ask for further information). Blanket 'no pets' rules are unenforceable.

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

A tenant on an assured periodic tenancy must give two months' written notice, with the end date aligned to the end of a rent period. The landlord and tenant can agree a shorter period in writing.

Can I still ask for several months' rent in advance?

No. The Renters' Rights Act limits the amount of rent a landlord can take in advance. See our rent in advance article for the current position and exceptions.

What are the penalties for getting it wrong?

Local councils can impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a breach (for example, claiming to let on a fixed term, or failing to issue the written statement of terms) and up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution for offences such as misusing a possession ground or breaching the restricted re-letting period. Repeat offenders also risk rent repayment orders and banning orders.