The Renters' Rights Act 2025: what it means for tenants

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to private renting in England in almost forty years, and its first and largest set of reforms came into force on 1 May 2026. If you rent your home from a private landlord, several of your rights changed on that date, and more changes will follow over the next few years. This guide explains what has changed, what is still to come, and what, if anything, you need to do.

The reforms apply to both new and existing tenancies, so you benefit from the ones already in force even if your tenancy began before May 2026. The Act mainly covers England, though a few provisions also reach Wales.

When the changes happen

The first phase came into force on 1 May 2026 and covers most of what affects you day to day: the end of Section 21, the move to periodic tenancies, the new rent rules, the ban on bidding wars, the ban on certain forms of discrimination, the right to request a pet, and a cap on rent in advance.

A second phase follows from late 2026 into 2027, bringing a national database of landlords and rented properties and a new ombudsman service, which landlords are due to be required to join by 2028. Further ahead, and still subject to consultation, the Decent Homes Standard will apply to private rented homes from 2035, and the government has the power to extend Awaab’s Law to the private sector, though it has not yet set a date for that.

The end of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction

Since 1 May 2026 your landlord can no longer end your tenancy with a Section 21 notice, the route that used to let them ask you to leave without giving a reason. To take back possession now, a landlord has to rely on one of the grounds in Section 8 and prove it applies.

Those grounds include serious rent arrears, anti-social behaviour and damage to the property. Two of the most common grounds are limited in your favour. A landlord who wants to move in themselves or a close family member, or who wants to sell, cannot use those grounds in the first twelve months of your tenancy, and has to give four months’ notice. That gives you a settled period when you first move in.

Your tenancy is now periodic

Fixed terms have gone. On 1 May 2026 every assured shorthold tenancy became an assured periodic tenancy, rolling on from one rent period to the next. You did not need to do anything, as the change happened automatically by law.

You can end a periodic tenancy at any time by giving two months’ notice, timed to end in line with your rent period. You are no longer tied in for a fixed six or twelve months, and you will not pay for time after you have left.

The information sheet you should have received

If you were already renting before 1 May 2026, your landlord was required to give you a government information sheet explaining the new rules by 31 May 2026. If you did not receive one, you can ask your landlord for it, and a landlord who fails to provide it can face a civil penalty of up to £7,000. If you never had a written tenancy agreement, your landlord also has to give you a written statement of the main terms.

Limits on rent increases

Your rent can now be increased only once in any twelve-month period, and only through a formal Section 13 notice on the prescribed Form 4A, with at least two months’ notice. Rent review clauses in older agreements no longer have any effect, and a landlord cannot raise your rent by letter, email or informal arrangement.

If you think a proposed increase is above the going market rate, you can refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal before the increase is due to take effect. The tribunal decides the market rent, and under the new rules it cannot set that rent higher than the figure your landlord proposed, so challenging an increase no longer carries the risk of leaving you worse off. In cases of hardship the tribunal can also delay the start of an increase by up to two months.

A ban on bidding wars

Landlords and letting agents can no longer invite or encourage tenants to offer more than the advertised rent in order to compete for a property. If you are asked to bid above the asking rent, you can refuse and report it to the local council. Penalties run up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches.

Protection from discrimination

Blanket refusals to let to people who receive benefits, or who have children, are now unlawful. A landlord has to consider each application on its merits rather than ruling you out on those grounds alone.

A right to request a pet

You now have the right to ask to keep a pet, and your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. The request should be in writing, and the landlord has to respond within 28 days. They can still say no with good reason, for example an animal clearly unsuited to the property, and they can ask you to cover any pet damage through insurance, but they cannot charge a separate pet deposit.

Rent in advance and deposits

For a new tenancy a landlord can now ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance, which lowers the cost of moving in. Deposits remain capped at five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks’ where it is above, and must still be protected in a government-approved scheme, with the scheme details given to you within 30 days. If your deposit is not protected, you can claim up to three times its value through the courts. When a tenancy ends, you are entitled to a refund of any rent that covers days after you have moved out.

What is still to come

Two changes are expected from late 2026 onward. A Private Rented Sector Database will record landlords and their rented properties, and a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will give you a free, independent way to resolve disputes with your landlord without going to court, with landlords due to be required to join by 2028.

Further ahead, the Decent Homes Standard will be extended to private rented homes, with enforcement confirmed for 2035. It sets minimum standards for safety, repair, facilities, warmth and freedom from damp and mould. The Act also allows for Awaab’s Law, which already requires social landlords to deal with serious hazards such as damp and mould within fixed timescales, to be extended to private landlords, although the government has not yet set a date for that step.

Stronger enforcement

Councils have wider powers to investigate landlords, with the groundwork commencing in December 2025 and the main powers and higher penalties applying from 1 May 2026. Rent Repayment Orders, which let a tenant reclaim rent where a landlord has committed certain offences, now reach back up to 24 months rather than twelve, with a two-year window to claim, and they can be made against company directors and superior landlords. With Section 21 gone, it is also much harder for a landlord to remove you for complaining about conditions, because they would need to prove a Section 8 ground.

Energy efficiency, a related change

Although it sits outside the Renters’ Rights Act, it is worth knowing that rented homes currently need an Energy Performance Certificate rating of at least E, and that all private tenancies will need to reach EPC C by 1 October 2030. A better-rated home usually costs less to heat. If your home appears to fall short and your landlord has not registered an exemption, you can raise it with the council’s private sector housing team.

What you need to do

For the reforms already in force you do not need to take any action, as they apply automatically. It is still worth keeping copies of your tenancy agreement, the information sheet and any notices, recording your rent payments, and reporting any problem with the property in writing, so that there is a clear record if an issue ever has to be escalated. Government guidance for tenants is published on gov.uk, and organisations such as Shelter and Citizens Advice can help if you are unsure where you stand. If you would like your tenancy paperwork and rent records in one place, August’s free tenant features keep them together.

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord still evict me? 

Yes, but only with a valid reason under Section 8, such as serious rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, or wanting to sell or move in, and some grounds cannot be used in the first twelve months. The old no-reason Section 21 route has gone.

My fixed term has not ended. What happens? 

Your tenancy became periodic on 1 May 2026 wherever you were in a fixed term. You can stay on the same terms and give two months’ notice whenever you choose to leave.

Can my landlord increase the rent whenever they like? 

No. Once a year at most, with two months’ notice on the correct form, and you can challenge an above-market increase at the First-tier Tribunal.

I did not get an information sheet. Does it matter? 

Your landlord should have provided one by 31 May 2026. Ask for it, as failing to supply it can cost a landlord a penalty of up to £7,000.

The bottom line

The Renters’ Rights Act gives renters more security and clearer rules, with the first changes already in force and more arriving over the next few years. Knowing where you stand is the practical starting point.

This article reflects the law and government guidance as of June 2026. Later phases of the Renters’ Rights Act, including the Decent Homes Standard and the extension of Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, are subject to further regulations and consultation. Check gov.uk for the latest position.

Disclaimer: This article is a guide and not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice, or as a substitute for it. August does not accept any liability for any errors, omissions or misstatements contained in this article. Always speak to a suitably qualified professional if you require specific advice or information.