Reforms to the private rented sector in England are bringing in new rights and responsibilities for landlords, letting agents and tenants. Renters’ Rights Act: Landlord Checklist
This information is for private landlords with rental properties in England only. These changes will not apply to private registered providers of social housing until 2027.
Renting is changing
As a landlord, you play an important role in delivering these reforms and will need to understand what these changes mean for you and your business. That way, you can be confident that you are complying with the law and providing your tenants with a safe, affordable and decent home. Our guidance is designed to help you understand how the reforms will affect you when you rent out a home in the private rented sector. It’s written in clear and accessible language, and it’ll help you get on top of these important changes.
The key changes
The following changes will happen on 1 May 2026. If a letting agent acts on your behalf, then they will need to follow these rules too.
New rules on starting and ending tenancies
Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished
- You’ll no longer be able to use Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict your tenants.
Reformed possession grounds will be fairer for both parties
- You’ll only be able to evict tenants when you have a specific, legally valid reason, otherwise known as a ’possession ground’.
- Possession grounds will be extended to make it easier for landlords to evict tenants when they want to sell the property, move into the property or move in members of their family.
- The changes will also make it easier to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour.
Fixed term tenancies will be banned
- Most new and existing tenancies in the private rented sector will become assured periodic tenancies, or ‘rolling tenancies’. This means renters will be able to stay in their property until they end the tenancy or until a landlord serves a valid notice to end it or obtains a court/possession order.
Changes to rent and payments
Rent increases limited to once per year
- You’ll have to follow the new legal process for increasing the rent. This will include providing the tenant with notice, detailing the proposed rent increase at least two months before that increase is due to take effect.
Rental bidding will be banned
- You’ll have to include a specific price on any written property advertisement.
- You will not be allowed to ask for, encourage, or accept an offer that’s higher.
Requiring large amounts of rent in advance will be banned
- You’ll only be able to require up to one month’s rent in the period between all parties signing the tenancy and the tenancy starting.
- You will not be able to accept any payment of rent before this period.
- Once the tenancy’s begun, you will not be able to require any payment of rent before it’s due.
New requirements for tenancies
As a landlord, you’ll need to understand the new rules for tenancy agreements. You’ll need to make sure that you give your tenant written information about the terms of their tenancy:
- For most tenancies that started before 1 May 2026 you will not need to change or re-issue any existing written tenancy agreements. Instead, you’ll need to send your tenants a government-produced information sheet. The government will publish this online in March 2026. Landlords will have until 31 May 2026 to provide this to all their tenants, either digitally or on paper. Landlords are able to do this as soon as the information sheet is published.
- For tenancies that start on or after 1 May 2026 you’ll need to provide your tenants with certain information about the tenancy in writing. You could do this in a tenancy agreement. We’ve published details of what information must be included to give you sufficient time to prepare your tenancy agreement template.
Discrimination against renters who have children or receive benefits will be illegal
- You will not be able to do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits – this includes withholding information about a property (including its availability), preventing them from viewing it, and refusing to grant a tenancy.
You must consider tenant requests to rent with a pet
- You’ll have to consider and respond to your tenant’s request within a set timeframe and will have to provide valid reasons if you choose to refuse it.
Other elements of the Renters’ Rights Act will take effect in later phases.
In the future, a database, an ombudsman, Awaab’s Law, and the Decent Homes Standard will all be implemented in the private rented sector.
