The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector in over 30 years. Here's a plain-English guide to what changed on 1 May 2026, and what's still being phased in.
The Act received Royal Assent in October 2025, and its core tenancy reforms took effect in England on 1 May 2026 in a single "big bang" — applying to existing tenancies and new ones on the same day. If you let property in England, several of the rules you've relied on for years no longer apply. This guide walks through the headline changes and what they mean in practice.
You can no longer serve a Section 21 notice to end a tenancy without a reason. To regain possession, you now need a valid ground under the revised Section 8 process — for example that you're selling, moving in a close family member, or dealing with rent arrears or breaches. Some grounds come with longer notice periods and cannot be used early in a tenancy.
Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are gone. Every tenancy is now an assured periodic tenancy that rolls month to month (or by whatever period rent is paid). Tenants can leave by giving two months' notice, ending at the end of a rent period.
Rent-review clauses written into tenancy agreements no longer have effect. To raise the rent you must use the statutory Section 13 process (Form 4A), no more than once every 12 months. Tenants can challenge a proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which can't set the rent higher than you asked for.
Where you're seeking possession because you want to sell or move in, you generally need to give four months' notice, and these grounds can't be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. There's also an Information Sheet the government requires landlords to give tenants explaining their new rights.
Not everything landed on day one. Several major parts of the Act are being introduced in stages, and landlords should prepare for them now:
The practical challenge of the new regime is record-keeping and deadlines. With fixed terms gone, no Section 21, and a once-a-year rent rule, the landlords who stay out of trouble are the ones who can prove what they did and when. That means keeping every certificate, notice, tenancy record and deadline in one organised place — not spread across folders, emails and spreadsheets.
JRM Compliance keeps your certificates, documents, tenancies and renewal deadlines in one place — built around current UK rules, including the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
See the softwareYes. It received Royal Assent in October 2025, and its main tenancy reforms came into force in England on 1 May 2026 — including the abolition of Section 21 and the move to periodic tenancies.
Yes. From 1 May 2026 you can no longer use Section 21 "no fault" notices. To regain possession you must use a valid ground under the revised Section 8 process.
Contractual rent-review clauses no longer apply. You can increase rent once every 12 months using the statutory Section 13 process (Form 4A), and the tenant can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal.
It depends on the ground. For selling or moving in, you generally need four months' notice, and those grounds can't be used in the first 12 months. Tenants can end a periodic tenancy with two months' notice.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change and individual circumstances vary — check the latest government guidance or take professional advice before acting.