Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Landlord Guide for England (2026)

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Renters’ Rights Act timeline: what applies now and what is still future

Official sources: Government implementation roadmap and Housing Hub: Register your rental property. The Housing Hub sets out the current phased registration dates and £65 annual per-property fee; check it again before registering because operational guidance can change.

What changed on 1 May 2026

• Assured periodic tenancies: most new and existing private-sector tenancies moved to the new periodic structure. Tenants can generally end a tenancy with two months’ notice aligned to a rent period.
• Section 21: landlords cannot serve a new Section 21 notice for the affected private tenancies. Possession normally requires a valid Section 8 ground.
• Written information: new tenancies need the required written information. Existing written tenancies generally required the government information sheet by 31 May 2026; existing verbal tenancies require a written summary of the prescribed terms. Keep evidence of compliance and obtain advice on any historic or transitional case.
• Enforcement: local-authority enforcement and rent-repayment-order rules were strengthened.

Can a landlord still regain possession after Section 21?

Yes - but a landlord needs a valid possession ground and, if the tenant does not leave, a court order. For most private rented properties in England, new Section 21 notices are no longer available. Which Section 8 ground is suitable depends on the reason for possession, the tenancy type and the evidence available.

• I want to move in or house a close family member: Ground 1 may apply. It normally requires four months’ notice and cannot require the tenant to leave during the first 12 months of a new tenancy.
• I want to sell: Ground 1A may apply. It also normally requires four months’ notice and has a 12-month protected period; check the specific eligibility, evidence and re-letting restrictions before serving notice.
• The tenant owes serious rent arrears: Ground 8 may apply where the statutory threshold is met both when notice is served and at the hearing. For monthly rent, this is generally three months’ arrears. The rules are more detailed for other rent periods and where arrears relate to delayed Universal Credit.
• The tenant repeatedly pays late, breaches the agreement or causes anti-social behaviour: a discretionary ground may be available. The court decides whether possession is reasonable.

Before serving notice: identify the correct ground, check the notice period and use the current private-rental Form 3A and assured tenancy forms. Do not amend prescribed wording unless the form permits it. Read the official grounds for possession guidance and our detailed Section 8 landlord guide before taking action.

How can a landlord increase rent under the new rules?

For an assured periodic tenancy in England, rent can normally be increased only once a year and not during the first year of the tenancy. Landlords must use the revised Section 13 process and serve Form 4A at least two months before the proposed increase takes effect. This remains the required process even where landlord and tenant have discussed or agreed an increase.

A tenant who considers the proposed rent above the open-market rent can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a determination. Until the planned future reform is introduced, rent challenges continue to use the First-tier Tribunal. See GOV.UK’s rent-increase guidance and our rent increase rules guide for the practical process.

Can I accept an offer above the advertised rent?

No. Written adverts must state a specific rent, and landlords and agents must not ask for, encourage or accept an offer above that advertised rent.

Can I ask for more than one month’s rent in advance?

The Act restricts when and how much rent in advance can be required. In the usual case, a landlord cannot require more than one month’s rent in advance. See our rent-in-advance rules guide and the current official guidance for the detailed rule and exceptions.

Can I refuse a tenant because they have children or receive benefits?

No. In England, landlords and agents must not make someone less likely to rent a property, or prevent them renting it, because they have children or receive benefits. This does not prevent lawful affordability and referencing checks.

Must I accept a pet?

Not automatically. A landlord must consider a tenant’s request to keep a pet, respond within the applicable timeframe and give valid reasons for a refusal. The facts of the tenancy, property and request matter.

Do existing tenants need a new tenancy agreement?

Usually, no. If a tenancy created before 1 May 2026 already had a written record of its terms, the landlord did not need to rewrite or reissue the agreement. Instead, the landlord generally had to provide every named tenant with the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.

Where a pre-1 May tenancy was wholly oral, or where a new tenancy began on or after 1 May 2026, specified tenancy information must be given in writing. There are separate rules for certain pre-1 May possession cases that later become assured periodic tenancies. The official Information Sheet must be the government PDF and should be given as a printed copy or electronic attachment; sending only a web link is not valid. Keep evidence of delivery to every named tenant. See our Information Sheet guide, the official written-information guidance and the tenancy agreement guide.

Frequently asked landlord questions

Does the Renters’ Rights Act apply in England now?

Yes. The first phase for the English private rented sector took effect on 1 May 2026. Some later measures, including phased property registration, Ombudsman membership and property-standard reforms, have separate or unconfirmed implementation dates.

Can landlords still use Section 21 in England?

Private landlords can no longer serve a new Section 21 notice for the affected English private rented sector. Possession generally requires a valid statutory ground and, where needed, a court order.

Can I sell a rental property with tenants under the new rules?

A sale can be a possession ground, but Ground 1A has eligibility, evidence, timing and re-letting rules. It normally requires four months’ notice and cannot make a tenant leave during the first 12 months of a new tenancy. Check the official possession guidance before serving notice.

When do I need to register a rental property?

Registration rolls out by the location of the property from 15 December 2026. When a region is called forward, landlords have a three-month registration window. Check the current Housing Hub timetable and our PRS Database guide.

Do I need to join the PRS Landlord Ombudsman now?

No. Mandatory membership is expected in 2028, after the database rollout and scheme implementation. This remains a future measure; see our PRS Ombudsman guide.

Landlord checklist: action now

• Use the current Form 3A before seeking possession and the current Form 4A for a rent increase.
• Keep dated evidence supporting any possession ground, rent proposal and service of notices.
• For post-1 May 2026 tenancies, give the required written tenancy information before signing or agreeing the tenancy.
• Check that written adverts state an asking rent and that agents’ instructions do not permit rental bidding.
• Review rent-in-advance, pet-request, benefits/children and referencing practices.
• If your property is in a region called forward for registration, prepare the required property, tenancy, rent, safety and identity information for the Housing Hub service.
• Do not treat future database marketing rules, Ombudsman membership, Awaab’s Law or Decent Homes Standard dates as current duties unless official guidance says they have commenced.

Related guides

Section 8 possession | Rent increase rules | PRS Database | PRS Ombudsman | Landlord Regulation Guide

Bottom line: the first phase of the Act is already in force for the English private rented sector. Treat possession and rent changes as formal compliance processes, and distinguish today’s duties from the later Database, Ombudsman and property-standard measures.