Renters’ Rights Act 2026 Update: What Landlords and Tenants Need to Know

The private rental sector in England has undergone some of its biggest changes in decades.

Although the legislation is officially called the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, many of its most significant reforms came into force on 1 May 2026, changing how landlords let properties, how tenants can be asked to leave, how rents can be increased and how rental properties are advertised.

Further changes are now approaching, including the introduction of a national landlord and rental property registration service from 15 December 2026.

Whether you are a landlord, tenant or looking for your next rental property, here is what you need to know.

Section 21 “no fault” evictions have ended

One of the biggest changes is the abolition of Section 21 evictions in England.

Since 1 May 2026, private landlords can no longer use Section 21 to regain possession of a property without providing a legal reason.

Instead, landlords who need possession must normally use the Section 8 process and rely on one or more recognised grounds for possession.

These can include situations where:

• the landlord intends to sell the property
• the landlord or certain family members intend to move into the property
• the tenant has significant rent arrears
• the tenant has caused serious antisocial behaviour
• the tenant has damaged the property
• another recognised legal ground applies

Different grounds have different requirements and notice periods.

Where a landlord wants possession because they intend to sell or move into the property, they cannot normally use these grounds during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

This makes following the correct possession procedure more important than ever for landlords.

Fixed term assured shorthold tenancies have been replaced

Traditional Assured Shorthold Tenancies have also fundamentally changed.

Most existing ASTs automatically became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, while new qualifying private tenancies created from that date are generally assured periodic tenancies.

Instead of having a fixed expiry date, these tenancies continue on a rolling basis, usually monthly or weekly depending on how rent is paid.

This gives tenants greater flexibility and removes the need to repeatedly renew fixed term contracts.

Tenants can generally end an assured periodic tenancy by providing the required notice, while landlords must use an appropriate possession ground if they want the tenancy to end.

For landlords, this means tenancy agreements, procedures and management systems should now reflect the new periodic tenancy regime.

New rules apply to rent increases

Rent increases are now subject to a clearer statutory process.

Landlords generally cannot increase the rent more than once in a 12 month period.

To propose an increase, the landlord must normally use the prescribed Form 4A and provide the tenant with at least two months’ notice.

Tenants can challenge a proposed increase where they believe it exceeds the property's open market rent.

At present, these challenges are made through the First-tier Tribunal.

The Government announced in September 2026 that it intends to transfer responsibility for initial rent increase determinations to HMRC's Valuation Office, although that new service is still being developed. Until it is introduced, the First-tier Tribunal remains the route for rent challenges.

This makes it particularly important for landlords to retain evidence supporting the market rent being proposed.

Rental bidding above the advertised price is banned

Another important change affects how rental properties are marketed.

Landlords and letting agents must advertise an asking rent and cannot encourage prospective tenants to compete by offering more than that amount.

They also cannot accept an offer above the advertised rent.

For example, if a property is advertised for £1,500 per month, applicants should not be invited to offer £1,550 or £1,600 to secure the tenancy.

The change is intended to make the rental application process clearer and more transparent for prospective tenants.

New protections for families and people receiving benefits

Landlords and letting agents must not discriminate against prospective tenants simply because they:

• have children; or
• receive benefits.

This means blanket policies such as automatically rejecting applicants because they receive Universal Credit or because they have children are no longer permitted.

Landlords can still carry out appropriate affordability, referencing and right to rent checks, but applicants must be considered in accordance with the law.

Tenants have stronger rights to request pets

The Renters’ Rights Act has also changed the position regarding pets.

A tenant or prospective tenant can request permission to keep a pet, and landlords cannot simply operate an automatic “no pets” policy without considering the request.

A landlord can still refuse a request where there is a valid reason.

This does not mean that every pet request must automatically be accepted. It does mean that landlords should consider requests properly and document their reasons if permission is refused.

Leasehold restrictions, unsuitable accommodation or other legitimate circumstances may be relevant when considering a request.

Landlords cannot demand rent before a tenancy is agreed

There are also new restrictions around payments before a tenancy has been entered into.

Landlords cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent payments before the tenancy agreement has been signed.

Landlords and agents should therefore review their application, holding deposit and tenancy commencement processes carefully to ensure money is collected at the correct stage.

Stronger enforcement and larger Rent Repayment Orders

Local authorities have been given additional powers to investigate and enforce breaches of rental legislation.

The Renters’ Rights Act has also expanded the circumstances in which a Rent Repayment Order, or RRO, may be made.

In qualifying cases, the maximum amount that can be ordered has increased from the equivalent of 12 months' rent to up to 24 months' rent.

This significantly increases the potential financial consequences of failing to comply with rental legislation.

For professional landlords in particular, good record keeping, documented procedures and regular compliance checks are increasingly important.

A national landlord registration service begins in December 2026

The next major change is approaching.

The Government confirmed on 9 September 2026 that its new Register Your Rental Property service will begin rolling out on 15 December 2026.

The rollout will start in the West Midlands before being introduced across other areas of England over approximately 12 months.

When a particular region is brought into the scheme, landlords with qualifying rented properties in that area will have a three month period to register.

The Government has said that all landlords actively letting qualifying properties should be registered by 14 November 2027.

Registration will be a legal requirement, and landlords who fail to comply could face financial penalties.

Initially, the requirement will mainly apply to properties that are already let or become occupied during the rollout.

The Government also intends, through future legislation, to require registration of vacant rental properties before they are marketed. Registration numbers are expected eventually to appear on property advertisements.

For tenants, the system should make it easier to confirm that a landlord and rental property have been properly registered.

For landlords, this is another reason to ensure property records, safety documents and ownership information are organised and kept up to date.

The Private Rented Sector Database is being introduced in stages

The registration service forms part of the wider planned Private Rented Sector Database.

The database is intended to bring together information about landlords and privately rented properties across England.

Government plans indicate that information may include details about the landlord, the rental property and relevant safety documentation.

This should help tenants understand more about a property before renting it, while also helping councils identify landlords who are not complying with their responsibilities.

The system is being introduced gradually rather than becoming compulsory across the whole country on a single date.

Landlords should therefore keep an eye on the timetable for the region in which each of their properties is located.

A Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman is also planned

A new ombudsman system for private landlords forms another part of the reforms.

Its purpose will be to provide a route for resolving certain disputes between tenants and landlords without requiring every issue to progress through the courts.

The Government's implementation roadmap provides for the landlord ombudsman to be introduced in stages, with mandatory landlord membership planned at a later point in the rollout.

Landlords should therefore expect further compliance requirements as Phase 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act continues.

What about Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard?

Further reforms are planned but are not all in force yet.

The Government intends to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, introducing clearer requirements for landlords to deal with serious property hazards within specified timescales.

A new Decent Homes Standard is also intended to apply to privately rented properties.

However, detailed implementation dates for these measures are still subject to further consultation and secondary legislation.

Landlords should therefore distinguish between rules already in force and reforms that have been announced but have not yet commenced.

What should landlords do now?

The 2026 reforms mean landlords should review how every stage of their letting process operates.

In particular, landlords should ensure that:

1. their tenancy agreements reflect assured periodic tenancies
2. Section 21 notices are no longer being used
3. the correct Section 8 grounds and prescribed notices are used where possession is required
4. rent increases follow the new statutory process
5. rental advertisements include a clear asking rent
6. applicants are not encouraged to bid above the advertised rent
7. tenant applications are not rejected simply because applicants have children or receive benefits
8. pet requests are considered properly
9. deposits remain correctly protected
10. property safety and compliance documentation is kept up to date
11. records are prepared for the forthcoming landlord registration requirements.

With greater enforcement powers available to councils, relying on outdated tenancy documents or old letting procedures can create considerable unnecessary risk.

What should tenants know?

For tenants, the reforms provide greater security but do not remove all responsibilities.

Rent still needs to be paid, tenancy conditions must still be followed and landlords can still seek possession where a valid legal ground exists.

However, tenants now have stronger protections concerning eviction, rental bidding, rent increases, pets and discrimination during the letting process.

If you are unsure about your tenancy, it is worth checking what type of agreement you have and understanding which rules now apply.

Renting property in a changing market

The Renters’ Rights Act represents a substantial change to the way residential property is rented in England.

For landlords, good management and accurate compliance procedures are becoming increasingly important.

For tenants, understanding the new system can make it easier to know what to expect when searching for a home, signing a tenancy or dealing with a problem during the tenancy.

At RentAnyProperty.co.uk, our aim is to make renting and letting property clearer and simpler.

Whether you are looking for your next home or advertising a property to rent, keeping up to date with the latest rental rules can help make the process smoother for everyone.

Looking for a property to rent or have a property available?

Visit RentAnyProperty.co.uk to explore rental properties and connect landlords with tenants across the UK.

This article is intended as general information only and does not constitute legal advice. The Renters’ Rights Act provisions discussed above relate primarily to the private rented sector in England. Different rules may apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Landlords and tenants should seek professional advice where they are unsure about their individual circumstances.