Renters’ Rights Act: 1 May 2026 start date confirmed – what this means for landlords
November 14, 2025
BREAKING NEWS
The Government has now confirmed that key parts of the Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1 May 2026. This marks the biggest shift in private renting rules for almost 40 years and it will fundamentally change how landlords let and manage their properties.
At August, we’re already preparing updates to our website guidance and app to help you navigate the transition with confidence. In this note, we explain what is changing on 1 May, what you need to do, and what’s coming later in 2026 and beyond.
What changes on 1 May 2026?
Not everything in the Renters’ Rights Act will go live on day one. The first phase focuses on how tenancies are set up, ended and managed.
From 1 May 2026, the following changes are expected to apply in England with some elements also impacting Wales:
1. End of section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions
Section 21 will be abolished. Landlords will no longer be able to end an assured shorthold tenancy using a ‘no-fault’ notice. Instead, you will need to rely on specific legal grounds, broadly the updated section 8 regime, if you need to take back possession.
2. End of most fixed terms – periodic by default
Most new tenancies will become periodic by default, rather than being granted as 6 or 12 month fixed terms. This will change how you think about tenancy length, renewals, turnover risk and void periods.
3. Restrictions on rent in advance
There will be tighter rules around how much rent can be taken in advance and in what circumstances.
4. New rules on rent increases and tenant selection
From commencement, it is expected to be unlawful to:
Increase rent more than once in any 12 month period
Run or encourage “bidding wars” between prospective tenants
Refuse to let to tenants because they receive benefits or have children
Breaches will attract civil penalties. Local authorities will be responsible for enforcement, with fines expected to range from £7,000 up to £40,000 for serious or repeat offenders.
What do landlords need to do on commencement?
If you have tenants in place on 1 May 2026, you will need to give them a written information leaflet explaining the new rules within the first month of the commencement date.
However, importantly:
You do not need to get existing tenants to sign brand new tenancy agreements just because the Act has started.
Any new tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026 will need to be on a periodic assured tenancy basis, using documents that reflect the new law.
The Government is expected to specify what must be included in both the tenant information leaflet and compliant tenancy agreements. At the time of writing, this detail is still outstanding. As soon as the secondary legislation is published, we will update August’s website and our app accordingly.
Section 21 and possession claims – key dates
The Renters’ Rights Act will remove the section 21 process and replace it with a set of grounds under which landlords can recover possession. After commencement you will need to rely on the strengthened grounds-based regime (similar to section 8 today).
In the meantime:
You can still serve a section 21 notice before 1 May 2026.
However, you must issue court proceedings on or before 31 July 2026 for that notice to remain valid. After that, any unacted-on section 21 notice will effectively be worthless.
If you are considering using section 21 under the current regime, it is vital you understand these timings and seek appropriate advice.
Rents and your portfolio strategy
With most tenancies becoming periodic and tenants gaining more flexibility to leave, you may see higher turnover risk in some parts of your portfolio.
Before commencement, it’s sensible to:
Review your current rent levels to ensure they remain sustainable once you factor in potential voids and extra compliance costs
Check your processes for rent reviews so they align with the “once per year” rule and any new notice requirements
Model the impact of slightly higher void assumptions in your cashflow planning
August will be adding prompts and checklists in-app to help you plan rent reviews compliantly and consistently across your properties.
Your practical preparation checklist
There is plenty you can do now to get ahead of 1 May 2026, even while you are waiting for final documents and guidance.
We recommend landlords:
Review your portfolio: identify higher-risk properties or tenancies where you may want to take early action.
Inspect properties and deal with hazards: address damp, mould, electrical and gas safety issues now, ahead of stricter standards later in the rollout.
Tighten your processes:
Tenant referencing
Advertising and how you describe eligibility
Logging and responding to repairs and complaints
Check in with your letting agent: make sure they have a clear plan for Renters’ Rights Act readiness.
Invest in training and guidance: ensure you understand the new tenancy, possession and rent rules.
Within August, we’re building this into a simple, step-by-step Renters’ Rights Act readiness checklist, so you can track your progress and record evidence against each requirement in one place.
Is six months enough time to prepare?
The sector has consistently argued that landlords and agents need at least six months’ clear lead-in time after the secondary legislation is published, so there is time to:
Update tenancy and information documents
Inform tenants of the changes
Simply counting six months from 1 May 2026 will not be enough if the detail arrives late. The success of the transition now depends heavily on how quickly the Government publishes the regulations and prescribed forms.
We will continue to watch this closely and update August’s guidance as soon as the final requirements are known.
What still needs to happen?
Two big pieces are still missing:
Prescribed documents and guidance
We are still waiting for the Government to set out exactly what must be in:The information leaflet for existing tenants
The new periodic assured tenancy agreements
Without this, there is a real risk of confusion and inconsistent practice when the Act goes live.
Court capacity and digitisation
With section 21 being abolished, more cases are likely to end up in the county court under grounds-based possession routes. Waiting times are already long in many areas. The Government has talked about digitisation and process reform, but landlords will need to see concrete plans and timelines to have confidence that cases can be handled fairly and promptly.
What’s coming later: the next phases of the Act
The May 2026 commencement is only the first stage. The remaining parts of the Renters’ Rights Act will follow in phases.
Phase two – expected ‘late 2026’
Private Landlord Ombudsman
A new independent redress service to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants without going to court in many cases.Private Rented Sector Database
A new national register where all landlords and all rented properties will need to be recorded. This will be rolled out in stages, with phased deadlines through the latter part of 2026.
Phase three – subject to consultation, no dates yet
New Decent Homes Standard for the PRS, including an updated Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) for assessing property risks.
Extension of Awaab’s Law to the PRS, introducing strict time limits for landlords to investigate and remedy serious hazards such as damp and mould.
No firm implementation dates have been given for phase three. Landlords should expect further detail over the next couple of years and plan for higher expectations around property condition and responsiveness.
Although the legislation primarily targets the private rented sector in England, some elements will also affect Wales. We’ll signpost the differences in August’s guidance where relevant.
How August will support landlords through the transition
This is a major change in how the private rented sector operates, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. August is being built specifically to help small landlords stay compliant without drowning in admin.
As the Renters’ Rights Act goes live, we will:
Update our document templates as soon as the secondary legislation is confirmed, so you’re not starting from a blank page.
Enhance our compliance journey to cover the new tenancy rules and rent increase limits.
Offer clear, plain-English guidance and resources on the Renters’ Rights Act on our website.
Help you store and organise key documents – including certificates, information leaflets and tenancy agreements – alongside each property, so you can evidence compliance quickly if ever challenged.
In summary
1 May 2026 is now a firm date in the diary – and it will change how every landlord in England (and, in some respects, Wales) operates. There are still unanswered questions, but there is also a lot you can do now to prepare.
August’s goal is simple, to make it easier to be a 'good' landlord. We’ll keep updating our app, website and guidance as the detail emerges, so you can get on with running your properties, confident that you’re on the right side of the new rules.
