The Renters’ Rights Act 2025

The RRA introduces significant reforms to residential tenancies in England and Wales.

Some of the most notable provisions include:

1. The abolition of assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) and the establishment of assured tenancies as periodic, with rent periods not exceeding one month. This means any existing AST will automatically convert to an assured periodic tenancy as from 1 May 2026 regardless of what the tenancy agreement says. There will be no more fixed term tenancies.
2. Tenants will be able to give notice to their landlord at any time provided that they give notice at least two months written notice expiring at the end of a rent period.
3. Revised and additional grounds for possession.
4. The abolition of section 21 ‘no fault’ notices/evictions.
5. The abolition of contractual rent increases. Rent increases may only take place pursuant to the provisions in section 13 of the Housing Act 1988.
6. The prohibition of rent payments in advance after a tenancy is entered into.
7. The prohibition of discriminatory practices by landlords and agents against tenants with children or those claiming benefits.
8. A right for tenants to request permission to keep pets, with the landlord being unable to refuse on any unreasonable basis.
9. New obligations on landlords including the duty to provide tenants with a written statement of tenancy terms and other specified information before the tenancy begins or within 28 days in certain circumstances.
10. The creation of a new private rented sector database to regulate marketing, advertising, and letting of dwellings which all landlords will be required to register on.
11. The creation of a new redress scheme which all landlords will be required to sign up to.
12. Financial penalties and offences for landlords who fail to comply with requirements, misuse possession grounds, or repeatedly fail to join a landlord redress scheme.
13. The expansion of offences for which rent repayment orders can be made.
14. The implementation of a decent homes standard (but regulations will be needed to implement this) and enforcement mechanisms through local housing authorities, including investigatory powers such as the ability to require information and documents from landlords, tenants, and other relevant persons.

The government has recently announced that many of these reforms will come into effect on 1 May 2026. This means that from 1 May 2026 landlords will no longer be able to serve section 21 ‘no fault’ notices on their tenants should they want to seek possession of their property. Instead, they must rely on one of the specific statutory grounds for possession and serve a section 8 notice.

After 1 May 2026, the courts will still be able to process section 21 possessions that are ongoing but court proceedings for possession in such cases must begin in accordance with the current laws and in any event by no later than 31 July 2026.

See our Briefing note – The Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

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