The Short Answer
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026 and is the biggest change to private renting in England in roughly four decades. For landlords, the headline is that Section 21 no-fault evictions are gone: possession now requires a statutory Section 8 ground, with notice periods of four months to sell or move in, and three months' arrears before the main rent-arrears ground applies. Rents can rise only once a year by statutory notice, bidding above the advertised rent is banned, and rent in advance is capped at one month. Civil penalties run up to £7,000 for a first breach and £40,000 for repeated ones.
This guide is written for landlords and letting professionals. It covers what actually changed on 1 May 2026, how to regain possession now that Section 21 has gone, the new rules on rent and conduct, and the obligations still to come. For the tenant's side of the same reforms, see our Renters' Rights Act guide for tenants.
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026?
On 1 May 2026 every assured shorthold tenancy in England converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy, and the core reforms of the Renters' Rights Act applied to new and existing tenancies on the same day. There was no phase-in by tenancy start date — it was a single commencement.
Practically, that means fixed terms no longer exist for new lettings. A tenancy runs on a rolling periodic basis until it is lawfully ended, the tenant can leave on two months' notice, and the landlord can only end it on a statutory ground. Landlords were also required to provide existing tenants with the government's Information Sheet explaining the changes by 31 May 2026. The official Guide to the Renters' Rights Act and the full statute on legislation.gov.uk are the authoritative references.
How do you regain possession now Section 21 is gone?
Possession now requires a statutory Section 8 ground, served on the correct form with the right notice period, and a court application if the tenant does not leave. There is no longer any route to possession without a reason. The grounds landlords use most often, and their post-reform notice periods, are below.
| Ground | Reason | Notice period | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground 1A | Landlord is selling the property | 4 months | Not available in the first 12 months; no re-letting for 12 months after the notice expires |
| Ground 1 | Landlord or close family moving in | 4 months | Not available in the first 12 months of the tenancy |
| Ground 8 | Serious rent arrears | 4 weeks | Three months' arrears required at both the notice date and the hearing |
| Ground 14 | Anti-social behaviour | Can be immediate | Evidence required |
| Grounds 12-13 | Breach of tenancy terms | 2 weeks | For example serious damage or unauthorised subletting |
Two changes bite hardest. The rent-arrears threshold under Ground 8 rose from two months to three months, and that arrears level must hold both when the notice is served and at the hearing — a tenant who clears part of the debt before the hearing can defeat the claim. And the sale and moving-in grounds carry a 12-month restricted period at the start of a tenancy plus, for sale, a 12-month no-re-let rule afterwards, which removes the option of using "sale" as a quick route to a vacant, re-lettable property.
Landlords with a Section 21 notice served on or before 30 April 2026 can still act on it, but court proceedings must begin by 31 July 2026 or the notice lapses.
What are the new rules on rent increases?
Landlords can increase the rent only once in any 12-month period, using the statutory Section 13 notice, with at least two months' notice, and the increase cannot exceed the open market rent for a comparable local property. The days of mid-tenancy increases written into a contract, or above-market rises used to encourage a tenant to leave, are over.
If the tenant disputes the increase, they can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal, which assesses the open market rent. A change worth noting: the tribunal can no longer set a rent higher than the figure the landlord proposed, so the old deterrent — where challenging risked a worse outcome — has gone, and challenges are likely to become more common. Pitching increases at a genuinely defensible market level, with evidence of comparable local rents, is now the safer approach. Dwellio's city-level median rents are one way to sense-check where the local market sits.
What can landlords no longer do?
Several long-standing practices became unlawful on 1 May 2026, each carrying a civil penalty. The cleanest way to stay compliant is to treat the advertised rent as a firm figure and the tenant's circumstances as off-limits as selection criteria beyond ordinary affordability referencing.
- Accept offers above the advertised rent. Landlords and agents cannot ask for, encourage, or accept bids above the advertised figure. Set the advertised rent at the level you want.
- Take more than one month's rent in advance. No rent can be requested before the agreement is signed, and only up to one month's rent in advance afterwards.
- Refuse pets unreasonably. A tenant's written request to keep a pet cannot be unreasonably refused, though the landlord may require the tenant to hold pet damage insurance.
- Use blanket "No DSS" or "No children" criteria. Advertising or refusing on the basis of benefits status or having children is unlawful. Ordinary, individual affordability referencing remains permitted.
Deposit rules under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 are unchanged and still apply: a holding deposit capped at one week's rent, and a tenancy deposit capped at five weeks' rent, or six weeks where the annual rent is £50,000 or more.
What are the penalties for getting it wrong?
Local authorities can impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a first or less serious breach, rising to up to £40,000 for continuing or repeated breaches, which can also be pursued as a criminal offence. On top of that, tenants can apply for a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent where a relevant offence has been committed. The government's note on civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act sets out how the tiers apply.
Enforcement sits with local councils rather than the courts for most breaches, and a single non-compliant advert or an unlawful rent demand is enough to trigger a penalty. The cost of a compliance mistake now comfortably exceeds the cost of getting advice up front.
What is still coming: the implementation timeline
Not every part of the Act landed on 1 May 2026. Several obligations phase in over the following years, and landlords should plan for them now.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 30 April 2026 | Last day a valid Section 21 notice could be served |
| 1 May 2026 | Act commences — Section 21 abolished, tenancies convert to periodic, bidding ban, rent-in-advance cap and rent-increase rules take effect |
| 31 May 2026 | Deadline to give existing tenants the Information Sheet |
| 31 July 2026 | Deadline to start court proceedings on a pre-1 May Section 21 notice |
| Late 2026 | Private Rented Sector Database begins its regional rollout |
| 2028 | Private Rented Sector Ombudsman — membership becomes mandatory for landlords |
| By 2035 | Decent Homes Standard fully extended to the private rented sector |
The Private Rented Sector Database is the next big operational change. Once live, every landlord will need to register themselves and each rental property, and letting an unregistered property will itself be an offence. Awaab's Law, which sets statutory timeframes for fixing serious hazards such as damp and mould, is also being extended to the private rented sector on a date still to be confirmed.
What should landlords do now?
The transition rewards landlords who get their paperwork and processes in order rather than wait for a dispute to expose a gap. A practical checklist:
- Confirm every tenancy has converted. All assured shorthold tenancies are now periodic. Do not issue new fixed-term assured shorthold agreements.
- Issue the Information Sheet to any existing tenant who has not yet received it.
- Rebuild your possession process around Section 8. Know which ground fits which situation, the notice period, and the evidence you would need in court.
- Document arrears carefully. Ground 8 now needs three months' arrears at both notice and hearing, so accurate, dated rent records matter more than ever.
- Set advertised rents at the figure you want. With bidding banned, there is no upward adjustment after listing.
- Benchmark rent increases against the local market before serving a Section 13 notice, since challenges are now lower-risk for tenants.
- Prepare for registration. Gather the property and compliance documents the Private Rented Sector Database will require.
The National Residential Landlords Association maintains detailed guidance and template forms for members working through each of these steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can landlords still evict tenants after the Renters' Rights Act?
Yes. Landlords can still regain possession, but only by using a statutory Section 8 ground rather than the old no-fault Section 21 route. Each ground carries its own notice period and evidence requirement, and the landlord must apply to court if the tenant does not leave. The common grounds are selling the property, moving in a close family member, serious rent arrears, and anti-social behaviour.
Can a landlord still serve a Section 21 notice in 2026?
No. No valid Section 21 notice can be served on or after 1 May 2026. A Section 21 notice served on or before 30 April 2026 can still be acted on, but the landlord must begin court proceedings by 31 July 2026, after which it is time-barred. From that point all possession must go through Section 8.
How much notice must a landlord give to sell or move in?
Four months. The grounds for selling the property or moving the landlord or a close family member in both require four months' notice, and neither can be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. If a landlord regains possession in order to sell, they cannot re-let the property for 12 months after the notice period ends.
How often can a landlord increase the rent?
Once in any 12-month period. The increase must be served using the statutory Section 13 notice with at least two months' notice, and it cannot exceed the open market rent for a comparable local property. The tenant can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which cannot set the rent higher than the figure the landlord proposed.
What are the penalties for breaching the Renters' Rights Act?
Local authorities can impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a first or less serious breach, rising to up to £40,000 for continuing or repeated breaches, which can also be pursued as a criminal offence. Tenants can separately apply for a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Does the Renters' Rights Act apply to existing tenancies?
Yes. Every assured shorthold tenancy in England converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026, regardless of when it began or how much of a fixed term remained. Landlords were required to provide existing tenants with the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
Where to Go From Here
The reforms shift the advantage toward tenants who can move quickly, which makes a well-priced, well-presented, compliant listing more important than ever for landlords who want a good tenant fast. Pricing to the market — not above it — and filling voids quickly is the new discipline.
On the other side of the same market, Dwellio helps renters track new listings across Rightmove, OpenRent, OnTheMarket, SpareRoom, PrimeLocation, and Leaders, and publishes the monthly UK Rental Index of median rents by city. If you are searching as a renter as well as letting as a landlord, you can start a free trial with no card required.