The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its main reforms came into force on 1 May 2026 – the biggest change to England’s private rented sector in decades. It abolishes Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, converts all tenancies to rolling periodic agreements, and introduces stricter rules on rent increases, tenant discrimination, and landlord accountability.
Section 21 evictions are abolished, and fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies no longer exist – every tenancy is now a periodic one, which a tenant can end at any time with two months’ notice. A landlord can only end a tenancy by relying on a specific ground under Section 8, and rent can only be increased once a year, capped at market rent, with tenants able to challenge unfair increases at the First-tier Tribunal. Rental bidding wars are also banned: landlords must advertise a set rent and can’t accept or encourage offers above it.
Not every part of the Act is in force yet. Registration for the new PRS Database opens on 15 December 2026, rolling out region by region through 2027 (London’s compulsory window starts 15 July 2027). A mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman is also being introduced, giving tenants free, binding complaint resolution outside the courts, and further reforms to housing standards (including an extended Decent Homes Standard) are expected to follow.
Landlords with tenancies in place before 1 May 2026 were required to serve existing tenants the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, with fines of up to £7,000 for missing it. If this hasn’t been done, it’s worth treating as an immediate priority rather than a historic deadline – non-compliance doesn’t expire on its own.
With grounds for eviction needing to be proven, rent increases open to tribunal challenge, and a new Ombudsman route for tenant complaints, landlords are dealing with considerably more formal, document-driven processes than before. A reliable, monitored correspondence address – already a legal requirement under Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 – is more important under this heavier compliance load, not less.
Yes, but only using a valid legal reason under Section 8 – since 1 May 2026, Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions have been abolished in England, all tenancies are now periodic, and a tenant can only
Yes – from 15 December 2026, most private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies must register themselves and their properties on the new PRS Database (branded the ‘Register your rental property’ service), with
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its main reforms came into force on 1 May 2026 – the biggest change to England’s private rented sector in decades. It
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