The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October and is set to come into force over the course of 2026, marking the most significant overhaul of renting in England since the Housing Act 1988, which established the modern private rented sector.
This landmark legislation will give tenants more rights, granting renters stronger protections and reshaping how millions of people live and let homes across the country. However, the government still needs to confirm how – and when – each of the changes will come into force. The new rules will affect more than 11 million people including the whole range of landlords from single unit accidental landlords through to the large-scale professional corporate landlords, each of which will have differing views about the various elements.
Given its scope and complexity of the bill, it will touch on many areas. Some of the key changes include:
All tenancies must be open ended:
Fixed-term tenancies will no longer be permitted, meaning landlords will have no certainty about how long tenants will remain in their properties. Depending on when tenants do choose to leave, this could result in longer void periods for landlords.
Removal of no-fault eviction:
This part of the legislation has probably received the most the coverage within the bill as the Renters Rights Act abolishes Section 21 notices, commonly known as ‘no-fault’ evictions.
While the Act does still contain provisions to give a range legitimate grounds for a landlord to take possession of the property, in comparison to today, the associated timescales are longer than those currently in place, and the process will rely more heavily on the courts rather than paperwork. As a result, tenants will have the right, and greater opportunities, to challenge evictions. Landlords will therefore need to actively manage their tenancies to mitigate the impact of these extended timelines.
New controls on setting and increase of rents:
When a property is advertised for rent, the proposed rent must be clearly stated. Landlords will now be prohibited from encouraging tenants to offer, or from accepting, any amount above the advertised figure.
Additionally, an inclusion in the bill will see it that tenants have the right, within the first six months of their tenancy, to challenge the rent level if they believe they are paying above market rates. If a landlord wishes to increase the rent during the tenancy, they will be required to serve a statutory notice of the proposed increase. Tenants will then have two months to refer the matter to a tribunal if they wish to contest the increase. The new rent can only take effect once the tribunal has made its determination.
Increase in regulation across the sector:
There will be a significantly higher level of regulation across the sector. Landlords will be required to join both a national property database and a redress scheme.
There is also an increase in the range of things that local authorities will be expected to enforce and can levy financial penalties for, including technical infringements of property standards regulations. Unlike under current legislation, these are standards that must always be met, and landlords will not be given a warning or an opportunity to put things right first.
In line with the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, new obligations will be imposed concerning property repairs. These will establish minimum property standards and, over time, require swifter responses to tenant complaints about disrepair.
What comes next for the rental market
It may take some time to implement some of these elements and the impact on the BTL sector is not fully clear. Some landlords may decide that it is now just too hard to continue in the sector, and we might see a range of properties coming to market, only time will tell, but if you are a renter, the Renters’ Rights Act is undoubtedly good news.