✦ Renters' Rights Act 2025 · Complete Landlord Guide

Renters' Rights Act: Complete Guide for Landlords in 2026

The Renters' Rights Act is the biggest change to renting in England in a generation, and it now affects almost every landlord with a tenancy in the private rented sector. This guide explains, in plain English, what the Act actually changed: the abolition of Section 21, the new Section 8 possession grounds, the move to periodic tenancies, new tenant rights, and exactly what landlords and letting agents need to do to stay compliant in 2026 and beyond.

Published 28 Oct 2025·Updated 21 June 2026·~26 min read·England

⚠ Section 21 abolished 1 May 2026⏳ 31 July 2026: transitional deadline✓ Periodic tenancies explained✓ Full compliance checklist inside

Key takeaways

→The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its core tenancy reforms commenced on 1 May 2026.
→Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are gone for good — Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 is now the only way to recover possession in England.
→Every assured shorthold tenancy converted automatically into an open-ended assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026, with no fixed term to renew.
→The Act goes well beyond eviction: rent increases, rent bidding, rent in advance, pet requests and discrimination against tenants with children or on benefits are all now regulated.
→Some deadlines have already passed (31 May 2026 Information Sheet, 31 July 2026 transitional longstop); others, like the Private Rented Sector Database, are still being phased in.

What Is the Renters' Rights Act?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025is the Act of Parliament that abolished Section 21 "no-fault" evictions in England and rewrote the rules governing almost every private tenancy in the country. It started life as the Renters' Rights Bill, introduced by the Labour government in September 2024, and became law when it received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025.

It builds on \u2014 and replaces \u2014 an earlier attempt at the same reform. The previous Conservative government's Renters (Reform) Bill made the same promise to end no-fault eviction but fell when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 2024 general election. The incoming government picked the policy back up almost immediately, and the renters rights legislation that resulted is, in scope, the largest single change to the private rented sector since the Housing Act 1988 itself.

Rather than creating a wholly new legal framework, the Act works by amending the Housing Act 1988 \u2014 removing the chapter that allowed assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21, and substantially rewriting Section 8 and its grounds for possession. The result is that every tenancy that used to be an assured shorthold tenancy is now simply an assured tenancy, on a periodic (open-ended) basis.

🏛 Who does it apply to?

The Act applies to private landlords letting residential property in England on what would previously have been an assured shorthold tenancy \u2014 individual landlords, portfolio landlords, letting agents acting for landlords, and most company lets. It does not apply in Scotland or Wales, which already operate, or are introducing, their own separate systems, and it does not apply to most social housing, which already sits outside the assured shorthold regime.

Key Changes for Landlords

The headline renters rights act changesare about eviction, but the Act touches almost every part of how a tenancy is run. Here's the full picture at a glance.

Reform	What changes	Effective from
Section 21 abolished	No-fault eviction route removed entirely; Section 8 is now the only possession route	1 May 2026
Periodic tenancies only	Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies end; every tenancy is open-ended from the outset	1 May 2026
Expanded Section 8 grounds	New and amended grounds, several with longer notice periods (e.g. 4 months for selling or moving in)	1 May 2026
Form 3A	New prescribed notice form replaces the previous Form 3 for every Section 8 notice	1 May 2026
Rent increases	Limited to once every 12 months via a Section 13 notice; tenants can challenge at the Tribunal	1 May 2026
Rent in advance & deposits	Rent in advance capped at one month; deposit caps unchanged	1 May 2026
Rent bidding ban	Landlords and agents can no longer accept offers above the advertised rent	1 May 2026
Right to request a pet	Blanket bans removed; every reasonable request must be considered individually	1 May 2026
Discrimination protections	No blanket "no children" or "no benefits" letting policies	1 May 2026
Decent Homes Standard	Minimum property standards extended to the private rented sector	Phased in — timing set by secondary legislation
Awaab's Law extension	Fixed timescales to investigate and fix serious hazards such as damp and mould	Phased in — timing set by secondary legislation
Private Rented Sector Database	Mandatory landlord registration, replacing local licensing schemes	Phased rollout from late 2026
PRS Landlord Ombudsman	New redress scheme tenants can use instead of going straight to court	Expected after the Database, likely around 2028

Several of these \u2014 the Decent Homes Standard extension and Awaab's Law timescales for the private rented sector in particular \u2014 still depend on secondary legislation for their exact commencement dates. We'll update this guide as they're confirmed.

Section 21 Abolition Explained

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 let a landlord end a tenancy without giving any reason at all, provided they followed the correct procedure \u2014 the so-called section 21 ban that campaigners had pushed for since at least 2019. It was fast, used an accelerated paperwork-only court process, and required no evidence of wrongdoing. That speed came at the cost of tenant security: a landlord could end a tenancy for any reason, or none, which made it hard for tenants to challenge a complaint-driven or retaliatory eviction.

Under the section 21 abolition, that route is gone entirely. The last day a new Section 21 notice could be validly served was 30 April 2026; from 1 May 2026, any Section 21 notice has no legal effect, however carefully it's drafted. A landlord can still recover possession \u2014 but only by serving a Section 8 notice and proving one of the statutory grounds covered in the next section.

If you already served a Section 21 notice before the cut-off, it isn't automatically worthless. Schedule 6 to the Act created a transitional window: court proceedings on a pre-commencement Section 21 notice had to be issued by the earlier of six months from service, or three months from commencement \u2014 in practice, 31 July 2026 for almost every notice served in the run-up to the changeover. For the full breakdown of this transition, including worked examples, see our dedicated guide: Section 21 Abolished: What Landlords Should Do Now.

Changes to Possession Grounds

Section 8 isn't new \u2014 it has existed alongside Section 21 since 1988. What's changed is its role: it's now the only possession route, and the Act expanded and re-priced almost every ground within it. The table below covers the grounds private landlords use most often.

Ground	Type	What it covers	Notice period
Ground 1	Mandatory	Landlord or close family moving in	4 months
Ground 1A	Mandatory	Landlord intends to sell	4 months
Ground 2	Mandatory	Mortgage lender exercising a power of sale	4 months
Ground 7A	Mandatory	Serious antisocial behaviour	No minimum (14-day rule applies)
Ground 8	Mandatory	Serious rent arrears	4 weeks
Ground 10	Discretionary	Rent arrears (any amount)	4 weeks
Ground 11	Discretionary	Persistent late payment of rent	4 weeks
Ground 12	Discretionary	Breach of a term of the tenancy	2 weeks
Ground 14	Discretionary	Nuisance, annoyance, or illegal use	None

Mandatory groundsrequire the court to order possession once the conditions are proved \u2014 there's no test of reasonableness. Discretionary grounds require the court to decide whether eviction is reasonable in the circumstances. Many notices cite a mandatory ground alongside a related discretionary one as a safety net \u2014 Ground 8 with Grounds 10 and 11, for example.

For the complete list of grounds and a tool that calculates the correct notice period automatically, see our Section 8 Multiple Grounds Generator. If you're drafting a notice yourself, it's worth reading Section 8 Notice Mistakes That Void a Possession Claim first \u2014 small errors in the grounds, notice period or service can invalidate an otherwise strong case.

Periodic Tenancies Explained

The second structural change, alongside Section 21's abolition, is the end of the fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy. Every tenancy that existed before 1 May 2026 converted automatically into an open-ended assured periodic tenancy, and every tenancy granted from that date is periodic from the outset. There's no fixed term to negotiate, no renewal date to diarise, and no break clause to draft \u2014 the tenancy simply continues, rent period by rent period, until either party ends it correctly.

For tenants, this means they can give two months' notice to leave at any time, even in what would previously have been the first few weeks of a fixed term. For landlords, it means the only way to end a tenancy is still Section 8 \u2014 there's no "wait for the fixed term to expire" fallback anymore.

Feature	Fixed-term AST (pre-2026)	Periodic tenancy (now)
Initial term	Fixed (commonly 6 or 12 months)	None — open-ended from the start
Tenant leaving early	Often restricted without a break clause	Tenant can give 2 months' notice at any time
Landlord ending the tenancy	Section 21 (no reason) or Section 8	Section 8 only, citing a specific ground
Renewal paperwork	New fixed-term agreement (and often a fee) at the end of each term	No renewal needed — the tenancy simply continues
Rent reviews	Often fixed for the term, revisited at renewal	Reviewed via a Section 13 notice, once every 12 months

New Tenant Rights

Understanding what tenants can now expect matters just as much as knowing the possession grounds \u2014 several common landlord mistakes come from applying old Section 21 habits to a tenant who now has stronger statutory protection.

→Cannot be evicted under Ground 1 or Ground 1A within the first 12 months of their tenancy
→Can give their landlord two months' notice to leave at any time, from day one of the tenancy
→Must receive the correct minimum notice period on Form 3A for whichever ground is cited
→Can challenge a rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal
→Can request to keep a pet, which the landlord can only refuse for a genuine reason
→Cannot be refused a tenancy simply for having children or for receiving benefits
→Can expect serious hazards such as damp and mould to be investigated and fixed within set timescales
→Are protected from "no-fault" eviction altogether — every possession claim now requires a specific, provable ground

Landlord Compliance Requirements

These are the landlord compliance requirements that sit alongside the eviction changes \u2014 the day-to-day obligations that apply whether or not you ever need to go anywhere near a court.

→Give every tenant with a pre-1 May 2026 tenancy the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026
→Use Form 3A for every Section 8 notice served from 1 May 2026 onward
→Keep rent, deposit and compliance records that can support a possession claim at a contested hearing
→Cap rent in advance at one month and keep deposits within the statutory limit
→Advertise an asking rent and avoid accepting offers above it
→Consider every reasonable pet request individually rather than applying a blanket ban
→Avoid blanket policies that exclude tenants with children or those receiving benefits
→Prepare to register on the Private Rented Sector Database once mandatory registration goes live in your area
→Keep existing health and safety obligations — gas safety, electrical safety, EPC — up to date alongside the new reforms

⚠ The Information Sheet deadline has passed

If your tenancy existed before 1 May 2026, you were required to give the tenant the government's official Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. If you missed this, send it now \u2014 a civil penalty of up to £7,000 applies for a first failure, rising to £40,000 if it continues after a penalty has been issued.

Practical Landlord Examples

Example 1 — First-time landlord letting an inherited property

A first-time landlord in Newcastle inherits a flat and lets it out for the first time in June 2026. Because the tenancy starts after commencement, it is periodic from day one — there’s no fixed term to set up, no Section 21 to fall back on, and the tenant can give two months’ notice to leave at any point. The landlord keeps a record of the tenancy ready for when the Private Rented Sector Database opens in their region.

Example 2 — Portfolio landlord managing properties across three cities

A portfolio landlord switches every Section 8 template across the portfolio to Form 3A, audits open tenancies against the 12-month restriction on Grounds 1 and 1A, and tracks which pre-1 May 2026 tenancies still need the government’s Information Sheet — completed just inside the 31 May 2026 deadline.

Example 3 — HMO landlord re-letting to students

A landlord lets a five-bedroom HMO to students each academic year. Because fixed terms no longer exist, the landlord now relies on Ground 4A to recover possession between academic years, giving the required notice and keeping written evidence of a genuine intention to re-let to new students, rather than assuming the old fixed-term-expiry route still applies.

Timeline of Implementation

The Renters' Rights Act didn't arrive in one go \u2014 it followed a defined legislative timetable, and several milestones are still ahead.

27 October 2025Renters' Rights Act 2025 receives Royal Assent

The Bill becomes an Act of Parliament. Implementation begins in stages over the following months.

13 November 2025Government publishes the implementation roadmap

MHCLG confirms the "big bang" commencement date for the core tenancy reforms and launches a landlord communications campaign.

30 April 2026Last day a new Section 21 notice can be served

Any Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026 has no legal effect.

1 May 2026Commencement date — the core reforms take effect

Section 21 is abolished, all existing assured shorthold tenancies convert automatically to assured periodic tenancies, and Section 8 becomes the only possession route.

31 May 2026Deadline to issue the government's Information Sheet

Landlords with tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026 must give every tenant the official Information Sheet. Missing this deadline risks a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

31 July 2026Longstop deadline for pre-commencement Section 21 notices

The final date to issue court proceedings on a Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026, for almost all cases.

Late 2026 onwardPrivate Rented Sector Database phased rollout

Mandatory landlord registration begins region by region, with full national rollout expected during 2027.

Around 2028PRS Landlord Ombudsman expected to launch

A new redress scheme giving tenants an alternative to court action, expected once the Database is established.

What Landlords Must Do Now

Several of the deadlines that mattered most in early 2026 have now passed. Here's how to check you're covered, and what's still ahead.

✓ Already in effect \u2014 check you're compliant

☐No Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026
☐Every pre-1 May 2026 tenant sent the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026
☐Every Section 8 notice from 1 May 2026 onward issued on Form 3A
☐Rent-in-advance and deposit terms kept within the statutory limits
☐No pet requests refused without a genuine, considered reason
☐No blanket "no children" or "no benefits" policy still in use

⏳ Still ahead \u2014 get ready now

☐Confirm the status of any pre-1 May 2026 Section 21 notice against the 31 July 2026 longstop
☐Watch for Private Rented Sector Database registration opening in your area
☐Watch for secondary legislation confirming Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law timescales for the private rented sector
☐Review tenancy agreement templates to remove redundant fixed-term and Section 21 references
☐Budget for eventual PRS Landlord Ombudsman membership once it launches

Common Misunderstandings

These are the misconceptions about the Renters' Rights Act we hear most often from landlords and agents \u2014 several can lead directly to an invalid notice or a rejected claim.

✗ Myth: My Section 21 notice still works if the tenancy started before 1 May 2026.

✓ Reality: What matters is when the notice was served, not when the tenancy began. A Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026 has no effect regardless of how old the tenancy is; one served before that date is only usable within the transitional window ending, for almost all cases, on 31 July 2026.

✗ Myth: I can just wait for the fixed term to end and serve notice then.

✓ Reality: Fixed terms no longer exist. Every assured shorthold tenancy converted into an open-ended periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026 — there's no fixed term left to wait out, and no Section 21 mechanism that could apply to it even if there were.

✗ Myth: A mandatory ground means I don't need any evidence.

✓ Reality: "Mandatory" means the court must order possession once the ground is proved, not that proof isn’t required. Courts still expect a rent ledger, sale evidence, or equivalent documentation before granting possession on any ground.

✗ Myth: I can refuse a tenant's request to keep a pet outright.

✓ Reality: Landlords can no longer apply a blanket ban. Each request has to be considered on its own merits, and a refusal needs a genuine, reasonable basis — for example, a property genuinely unsuitable for a particular animal.

✗ Myth: These changes only apply to new tenancies signed after 1 May 2026.

✓ Reality: Almost all tenancies that existed before commencement converted automatically, without a new agreement being signed. The reforms apply across virtually the entire private rented sector in England, not just new lets.

✗ Myth: I can advertise a rent and then accept a higher offer if a tenant offers more.

✓ Reality: Accepting an offer above the advertised rent is no longer permitted. Landlords and agents must let at the rent advertised, rather than running an informal bidding process.

✗ Myth: This works the same way everywhere in the UK.

✓ Reality: The Renters’ Rights Act applies to England only. Scotland abolished no-fault eviction some years earlier under separate legislation, and Wales operates its own regime under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

Compliance Checklist

A single reference list you can run through across your whole portfolio.

☐No Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026
☐Every pre-1 May 2026 tenant sent the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026
☐Every Section 8 notice from 1 May 2026 onward issued on Form 3A
☐Rent-in-advance and deposit terms kept within the statutory limits
☐No pet requests refused without a genuine, considered reason
☐No blanket "no children" or "no benefits" policy still in use
☐Give every tenant with a pre-1 May 2026 tenancy the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026
☐Use Form 3A for every Section 8 notice served from 1 May 2026 onward
☐Keep rent, deposit and compliance records that can support a possession claim at a contested hearing
☐Cap rent in advance at one month and keep deposits within the statutory limit
☐Advertise an asking rent and avoid accepting offers above it
☐Consider every reasonable pet request individually rather than applying a blanket ban
☐Avoid blanket policies that exclude tenants with children or those receiving benefits
☐Prepare to register on the Private Rented Sector Database once mandatory registration goes live in your area
☐Keep existing health and safety obligations — gas safety, electrical safety, EPC — up to date alongside the new reforms

📋 Need a notice that gets these right automatically?

Our Section 8 Notice Generator and Form 3A Generator calculate the correct grounds and notice periods for you, so the timing and paperwork mistakes covered in this guide can't happen in the first place.

Conclusion & About This Guide

The Renters' Rights Act isn't a single rule change \u2014 it's a different operating model for the private rented sector. No-fault eviction is gone, fixed terms are gone, and almost every routine landlord decision, from a rent increase to a pet request, now sits inside a defined legal process. None of it is unmanageable once you know the framework: identify the right ground, give the right notice, keep the right evidence, and meet the compliance deadlines as they land. Landlords who treat the Act as a checklist, rather than a single headline about Section 21, are the ones who avoid the costly mistakes covered throughout this guide.

🔄

Last updated: 21 June 2026

This guide is reviewed against the Renters' Rights Act 2025 implementation roadmap and government guidance, and reflects the law as it stands following the 1 May 2026 commencement date.

🇬🇧

England only

This guide covers the private rented sector in England. Scotland abolished no-fault eviction earlier under separate legislation, and Wales operates its own regime under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 — neither is covered here.

⚠️

Not legal advice

This guide provides general legal information only. Possession cases, rent disputes, and discrimination complaints are fact-specific. Always seek independent advice from a qualified housing solicitor before serving a notice or issuing proceedings.

OfficeDraft Legal Team

Our team monitors UK housing legislation and the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, updating this guide and our Section 8 and Form 3A generators as secondary legislation and government guidance are published.

Published: 28 October 2025 · Last updated: 21 June 2026 · Next scheduled review: when the PRS Database rollout begins

About OfficeDraft →

External references: Renters' Rights Act 2025 \u2014 legislation.gov.uk · Housing Act 1988 \u2014 legislation.gov.uk · Guide to the Renters' Rights Act \u2014 GOV.UK · Implementation Roadmap \u2014 GOV.UK · GOV.UK \u2014 Evicting tenants · Find a housing solicitor \u2014 Law Society

Frequently Asked Questions \u2014 Renters' Rights Act

What is the Renters' Rights Act?▾

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the law that abolished Section 21 "no-fault" evictions in England and replaced fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies with open-ended periodic tenancies, alongside a wider package of reforms covering rent increases, pet requests, rent bidding, and a new national landlord database.

When did the Renters' Rights Act come into force?▾

It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. The core tenancy reforms, including the abolition of Section 21, commenced on 1 May 2026, with some measures — such as the Private Rented Sector Database and the Landlord Ombudsman — being phased in later.

Does the Renters' Rights Act apply to my tenancy?▾

Yes, if you let residential property on an assured shorthold tenancy in England. Almost every existing tenancy converted automatically into an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026, and every new tenancy has been periodic from that date onward. It does not apply in Scotland or Wales, which have their own separate systems.

What is the single biggest change for landlords?▾

The end of the no-fault eviction route. Every possession claim, whatever the underlying reason, must now go through Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 and a specific, evidenced ground — there is no longer a way to end a tenancy without giving a reason.

Do I need to issue new tenancy agreements?▾

Not necessarily. Existing tenancies converted automatically without the need for a new agreement, though landlords had to send every existing tenant the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. New tenancies should be drafted as periodic from the outset, and many landlords are updating their template agreements to remove fixed-term and Section 21 references that no longer apply.

Can I still increase the rent?▾

Yes, but only once every 12 months, using a Section 13 notice. The tenant can challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which can confirm or reduce it, but cannot increase the rent beyond what the landlord proposed.

What happens if I already served a Section 21 notice before the change?▾

A Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 can still be relied on, but only within a strict transitional window — broadly, court proceedings had to be issued by 31 July 2026 in almost all cases. After that date, only a Section 8 ground can be used.

Does the Renters' Rights Act affect HMOs differently?▾

HMO landlords face the same core changes — periodic tenancies and Section 8 as the only possession route — plus a specific ground, Ground 4A, for re-letting to students at the start of a new academic year, alongside their existing HMO licensing obligations.

What penalties can landlords face for non-compliance?▾

Penalties vary by breach. Missing the Information Sheet deadline can attract a civil penalty of up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 for a continued failure. Other breaches — including unlawful discrimination against tenants with children or those receiving benefits — carry their own civil, and in serious or repeat cases criminal, penalties.

Is the Renters' Rights Act the same as the Renters (Reform) Bill?▾

They share the same underlying goal — ending Section 21 — but they're different pieces of legislation. The Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2023 and fell when Parliament was dissolved in 2024. The Renters' Rights Bill was reintroduced by the incoming Labour government and became the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on Royal Assent.

What should landlords do right now, in mid-2026?▾

Confirm you sent the Information Sheet to existing tenants by 31 May 2026, check whether you have any pre-commencement Section 21 notices against the 31 July 2026 deadline, switch every notice template to Form 3A, and review your portfolio so you know which Section 8 ground would apply if you ever needed possession of each property.

⚠ Legal disclaimer

This article is published by OfficeDraft for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is being implemented in stages, with secondary legislation and government guidance still being published in some areas \u2014 particularly the Decent Homes Standard, Awaab's Law timescales, and the Private Rented Sector Database. Possession cases, rent disputes, and discrimination complaints are fact-specific and carry real financial and legal risk if handled incorrectly. Before serving any notice, increasing rent, or issuing court proceedings, seek independent advice from a qualified housing solicitor. A directory of specialists is available at solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk.

Published: 28 October 2025 · Last updated: 21 June 2026 · Author: OfficeDraft Legal Team · About OfficeDraft

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