Renters’ Rights Act for landlords

A Section 21 notice cannot be used to end a tenancy from 1 May 2026. Possession instead has to be sought under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, which makes you state the specific legal ground you are relying on. A Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 could only be used if court proceedings started by 31 July 2026 (or earlier, if the notice ran out first).

Among the grounds for possession, some revised and some new, are these:

• Selling the property: you mean to sell, and need vacant possession to do it.
• Moving back in: the property is wanted as a primary home by you or a close family member.
• Rent arrears: the tenant owes significant rent arrears. It is a mandatory ground if at least three months’ rent (13 weeks’ rent where rent is paid weekly or fortnightly) is owed at both the notice and hearing dates, with four weeks’ notice.
• Anti-social behaviour: serious anti-social behaviour by the tenant or someone in their household.
• Breach of tenancy: the tenant has committed a material breach of the tenancy agreement.

Depending on the ground, the notice period is anywhere from none (for serious anti-social behaviour, where you can apply to court straight away) to four months. You cannot use the selling or moving-in grounds in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after using either one you cannot re-let or market the property for 12 months. Serve the wrong notice, or the right one in the wrong form, and the case can be held up in court.

Since 1 May 2026, most assured tenancies, including assured shorthold tenancies that started before then, have been rolling periodic tenancies with no end date. Rent periods can be weekly or monthly, but no longer than a month. Tenants can leave by giving two months’ notice.

A few lets sit outside these rules, for example where you live in the property yourself or the rent is over £100,000 a year.

What this means for you: a tenant can no longer be tied in for six or twelve months. When you have a legitimate reason, the revised possession grounds give you a clear route to getting the property back.

Rent can go up once per year, and not in the first year of the tenancy, by Section 13 notice (Form 4A), with the tenant getting at least two months’ written notice of it. Whatever you propose has to reflect the market rent for the property. A tenant who thinks otherwise can take it to the First-tier Tribunal, and the tribunal will then decide the market rent itself. It cannot set a rent higher than the one you proposed.

Tip: Hold on to evidence of what comparable homes nearby are letting for. A rental market appraisal from Tessa can back up any increase you propose.

An asking rent must be published for each property, and no landlord or agent may invite, encourage, or accept an offer above it. The point is to keep the rental market transparent and stop bidding wars.

What this means for you: the asking rent needs to be realistic from day one. Tessa can advise on the right figure to attract good tenants quickly.

Blanket bans on tenants who receive benefits or who have children are illegal from 1 May 2026, whether a landlord or a letting agent operates them, and whether the discrimination is direct or indirect. You can still assess affordability tenant by tenant, but broad “No DSS” or “No Children” policies have to come out of all marketing and processes.

The Act strengthens a tenant’s right to request to keep a pet. Every request has to be considered, and you cannot unreasonably refuse. You must reply in writing within 28 days. If you ask the tenant for more information, you have until the later of the original 28 days or seven days after receiving it.

Tip: A professional inventory at check-in, recording the property’s condition in detail, is your protection if there is ever a claim for damage by a pet.

Until now the Decent Homes Standard has applied only to social housing. A new version will apply to the private rented sector from 2035. Once it applies, a privately let home must meet minimum requirements on structural condition, heating, damp, kitchen and bathroom facilities, and general repair.

The government plans to extend Awaab’s Law to private rentals, with the date to be set after a consultation. It will put landlords under a duty to investigate and remedy hazards such as damp and mould within prescribed timescales. If a landlord does not comply, the tenant can seek a court order and compensation for breach of contract.

What this means for you: staying ahead of maintenance matters more now than it ever has. Tessa recommends a property health check before these standards come into force, so any issues are found and dealt with early.

The national landlord database, the government’s Register your rental property service, opens on 15 December 2026 and is brought in area by area. London landlords register between 15 July and 14 October 2027, and every landlord actively letting must be registered by 14 November 2027. The fee is £65 a year for each property. It will let tenants check that their landlord is compliant, and give local authorities better oversight.

The new landlord ombudsman is expected in 2028, and membership will be compulsory for private landlords. It will give tenants an independent way to resolve disputes without going to court.

Landlords with tenancies that existed on 1 May 2026 had to give every named tenant The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026, digitally or as a printed copy. If you have not, give it now: failing to provide it can lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

You can only ask for rent in advance after the tenancy agreement is signed and before the tenancy starts, and no more than one month’s rent (or 28 days’ rent where rent is not paid monthly), whatever the agreement says.

Local authorities have been given stronger powers to investigate and enforce. The civil penalties for breaching the Act are:

• Up to £7,000 for an initial breach.
• Up to £40,000 for a serious breach, or one that is repeated.

Importantly, if you use a letting agent, you may still be held responsible for their actions under the Act. That makes the choice of a reputable, well-informed agent essential.