Three quarters of landlords have made no preparations for the Renters’ Rights Act despite parts of the legislation taking effect on 1 May, new research reveals.
A survey by inventory platform Inventory Base found that while awareness of the Act is high, most landlords have not updated contracts, reviewed possession grounds or sought legal advice. Only 20 percent described themselves as highly confident in understanding how the changes will affect their business.
Awareness high but action lacking
The survey confirms that the sector remains dominated by small-scale operators, with 63 percent owning a single rental property and 30 percent owning between two and four. Management responsibilities are evenly split, with 48 percent self-managing and 52 percent using letting agents.
Some 28 percent of respondents said they were either unaware of or unclear about the Act and its changes. While 84 percent know that fixed-term tenancies will be replaced with open-ended periodic tenancies, nearly seven in ten have no plans to make changes before the deadline. For landlords who have not yet served Section 21 notices, the window to do so is rapidly closing.
Section 21 awareness high but preparation low
The abolition of Section 21 is the most recognised reform, with 92 percent of landlords aware of the change. Yet only 12 percent feel prepared to rely on the new possession grounds, while 43 percent say they are poorly or not at all prepared.
Key concerns include selling the property (32 percent), rent arrears thresholds (28 percent) and court delays or enforcement issues (28 percent). With possession timelines now exceeding 25 weeks, landlords facing difficult tenancies will need to factor in significant delays when planning any recovery action.
Rent in advance rules poorly understood
Restrictions on rent in advance are among the least understood elements of the Act. Just 51 percent of landlords are aware of the new rules limiting upfront payments to one month’s rent, and 76 percent have no plans to change how much rent they request.
Only 11 percent have already made changes and 14 percent plan to do so before May. Changes to rent increase rules are also affecting landlord behaviour, with 45 percent saying they are adjusting their approach to comply with the annual increase requirement.
Pet policies remain unchanged
The requirement not to unreasonably refuse tenant requests to keep pets is widely known, with 92 percent awareness. However, only 13 percent of landlords have updated their pet policies, 16 percent plan to do so, and 71 percent have made no changes at all.
Concerns remain focused on property damage, hygiene and allergies, noise or nuisance and insurance limitations. Just 14 percent report no concerns. For landlords worried about the shift to periodic tenancies, guidance from the government’s explanatory notes sets out how the new grounds for possession will work in practice.
Landlords looking to stay compliant and manage tenant relationships under the new rules can use maintenance triage tools such as AskLettie, which helps landlords navigate the changing regulatory landscape and respond to tenant queries in line with forthcoming regulatory changes.
Overall, the survey paints a picture of a sector that knows change is coming but has not yet acted. With less than 12 weeks until the first provisions take effect, landlords who have not reviewed their tenancy agreements and possession procedures risk being caught unprepared.
Editor’s view
The gap between awareness and action is striking. Most landlords know Section 21 is going, but few have prepared for life without it. Those still planning to serve notice should act now – waiting until April could mean losing the option entirely.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 13 February 2026
Sources: Inventory Base
Related reading: Landlords urged to serve Section 21 notices before 1 May deadline
