The Renters' Rights Act 2025

What Every Landlord Must Know Before 1 May 2026

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its core provisions come into force on 1 May 2026 — just weeks away. This is the most significant change to residential lettings law in over 30 years. Every tenancy you have, whether brand new or decades old, will be affected from that date.

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1. What Is Changing on 1 May 2026

Section 21 Is Abolished

From 1 May 2026, you will no longer be able to ask a tenant to leave simply because you want to. Every possession claim must be based on a specific legal reason — known as a Section 8 ground. The most common grounds landlords will use are:

• You wish to sell the property
• You or a close family member wishes to move in
• The tenant is significantly in arrears with their rent (3+ months)
• The tenant has breached the tenancy agreement

All Tenancies Become Periodic

Every tenancy — including your existing ones — will automatically become a periodic (rolling) tenancy on 1 May 2026. Fixed-term ASTs will cease to exist. You do not need to sign new agreements; the conversion happens automatically by law. However, all current tenants must receive a government information leaflet explaining the changes by 31 May 2026 — we will handle this for all properties we manage.

Rent Increases — Once a Year Only

From 1 May 2026, rent can only be increased once per year via a formal Section 13 notice. Any rent review clauses in existing tenancy agreements will have no legal effect. Tenants have the right to challenge increases they consider above market value at the First-tier Tribunal.

3-Month Arrears Threshold

The mandatory rent arrears ground (Ground 8) now requires at least 3 months' unpaid rent — up from 2 months previously — at both the time of serving notice and at the court hearing. Earlier intervention is more important than ever. We will flag arrears at 6 weeks to give maximum time to act.

No Blanket Bans — Pets & Benefits

It will be illegal to have blanket policies refusing tenants with children or those in receipt of benefits. Pet requests must also be considered individually and cannot be unreasonably refused.

2. New Section 8 Notice Periods

Grounds 1 and 1A cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy.

3. Critical Deadlines

4. How We Are Protecting Your Investment

We have already begun preparing for these changes on behalf of all our landlords. Here is what we are doing:

• Reviewing every tenancy to identify where a Section 21 may need serving before 30 April
• Updating all tenancy templates to remove fixed-term clauses and non-compliant rent review provisions
• Preparing government information leaflets for all tenants by 31 May 2026
• Upgrading our arrears management process to flag issues at 6 weeks — well before the new 3-month threshold
• Tracking the PRS Database launch to register all properties and landlords when required
• Monitoring all further statutory instruments as they are published throughout 2026

For all properties we manage, you do not need to take any action — we will handle all of the above on your behalf.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We recommend seeking independent legal advice for your specific circumstances.