For the first time in decades, the law governing private renting in England is being thoroughly reformed, with the aim of making renting more secure, fair and transparent for tenants. The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent in October 2025, and key parts of it will come into force from 1 May 2026.
What’s Happening and When
The new law will be rolled out in three main phases:
From 27 December 2025:
Local councils get new investigatory powers
From 1 May 2026:
This is the biggest change for tenants and landlords — and the part that everyone should really know about and this is what this blog will cover.
Further improvements, like a national landlord database and a new Landlord Ombudsman, will follow in late 2026 and beyond.
From May, these are the changes…
Existing Tenancies With Us
We’ll be sending out a government “Information Sheet” about the Act on or before 31 May 2026. We will send this out electronically (if you need a printed version, please email us on our Contact Us page). This will help explain the changes.
For future tenancies, it is likely to include a tenancy summary in a clear format for better understanding and a more formalised standard for tenancy agreements.
No More “No-Fault” Evictions (Section 21)
From May 2026, these no-fault evictions are ending. Landlords must now have a valid legal reason to ask you to leave — such as serious rent arrears or anti-social behaviour — using the more formal Section 8 process.
End of Fixed-Term Contracts
Most assured shorthold tenancies will automatically become periodic (rolling) tenancies. That means rather than being tied to a fixed contract length, your agreement continues week-to-week or month-to-month until you or the landlord ends it. For Newtons and our spaces, this isn’t really anything new, 100% of AST’s would be rolling into periodic tenancies with many tenancies running for several years.
More Flexibility Ending a Tenancy
You will be able to end your tenancy more easily by giving appropriate notice (typically two months), without worrying about being tied into minimum terms.
Rent Increase
Landlords can only increase rent once a year, and must give proper notice. You’ll also still be able to challenge any proposed increase through a tribunal if you think it’s unfair. We’ve worked on an annual rent increase for many years and always try to give as much notice as possible, usually 3 months, so we see no really change here and welcome this approach.
Banning “Bidding Wars” and Upfront Fees
Ads must list a fixed rent, and landlords can’t use so-called “bidding wars” where tenants offer more than the advertised price.
In advance, landlords can take no more than one month’s rent as a deposit or initial payment.
Pets and Fair Treatment
You’ll have the right to request to keep a pet, and landlords can’t refuse unreasonably. It will also be illegal to discriminate against tenants just because they’re receiving benefits or have children.
Later Changes Coming After May 2026
PRS Database & Landlord Ombudsman (Late 2026)
A national Private Rented Sector Database will be introduced to help tenants see key information about properties and landlords. A Landlord Ombudsman will offer a way to resolve disputes outside court. We’ll keep you posted about these changes via our social media.
Future Quality Standards
Longer-term plans include introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector and strengthening requirements around energy efficiency and health & safety — but these will come in later and will be phased in over several years.
