If you're a landlord in England, the rental market is changing significantly. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 brings reforms that will affect how you manage your properties and tenancies. The Royal Assent does not mean that every change is going to happen all at once; to give everyone involved some breathing room, the government is phasing the changes in the Renters' Rights Act 2025 over several years.
Understanding when things change half the battle. This is exactly why this article exists, to help you understand what's happening and when.
Key Dates to Remember:
27 October 2025: Act receives Royal Assent.
27 December 2025: Investigatory powers for councils take effect.
1 May 2026: Section 21 ends, all ASTs become periodic, new grounds apply, rent-in-advance cap, bidding ban, anti-discrimination rules, pet rules, guarantor protections, and extended RRO provisions begin.
Late 2026: Database rollout begins.
2026–2028: Ombudsman service phased in; mandatory membership expected by 2028.
Later date: Tenancy reforms extended to social housing providers.
Future policy: Energy efficiency reforms, modernised Decent Homes Standard, and Awaab’s Law extension to follow after further consultation
27 October 2025: The Act Becomes Law
The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. That means Parliament has passed it and it's officially on the statute books.
What is important to note is, "becoming law" and "coming into force" aren't the same thing. On this date, the Act came into force only for the purposes of making regulations, essentially allowing the government to start writing the detailed rules. The provisions that actually affect your day-to-day life as a landlord come later.
27 December 2025: Council Enforcement Powers Go Live
Two months after Royal Assent, local authorities gain significant new powers to investigate landlords. This is the groundwork for the tougher enforcement regime coming in May 2026.
What Councils Can Do:
Demand information from you directly. If a council suspects you've broken housing law, they can require you to produce documents and information. This applies to anyone who has acted as a landlord, agent, licensor, or property marketer in the past 12 months.
Demand information from third parties. Councils can also require information from any person or organisation: banks, accountants, referencing companies, "prop tech" platforms, even building contractors. If your bank holds records relevant to a housing investigation, they can be compelled to hand them over.
Enter business premises. Council officers can enter and search the offices of letting agents, property managers, or any business connected to rental properties. They can seize documents.
Enter residential premises. If the council reasonably suspect a property is being privately rented, they can enter to investigate.
Access existing data. Councils can use council tax records, housing benefit data, and tenancy deposit scheme information to support investigations.
Remember
1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027: Ministry Of Defence Reporting Begins
This one's niche, but if you're involved with Ministry of Defence accommodation: this period marks the first year for which the Secretary of State must prepare and publish a report on whether service family accommodation in England meets relevant standards.
1 May 2026: The Big Day
This is the date that matters most. On 1 May 2026, the core reforms affecting 11 million private renters come into force. For landlords, everything changes, from here on out (until the next change).
Section 21 Evictions End
Section 21 "no fault" evictions end on 1 May 2026 for private rentals. If you're a landlord with a Section 21 notice already served, you have until 31 July 2026 to start court proceedings. After this date, you cannot serve a Section 21 eviction notice.
What about notices you've already served? If you gave a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, it doesn't automatically become worthless, but there's a strict deadline. You must issue court proceedings by whichever date comes first:
Six months from when you served the notice, or
31 July 2026 (three months after commencement)
A landlord may still serve a section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, but if they do so, they must issue court proceedings no later than 31st July 2026.
Example: You serve a Section 21 notice on 1 March 2026. Six months from that date would be 1 September 2026 but that's after the 31 July 2026 backstop. So, your deadline to issue court proceedings is 31 July 2026, not 1 September.
After your deadline passes without proceedings being issued, the notice becomes invalid and you'll need to use the new Section 8 grounds instead, because section 21 is no longer viable, you won't be able to evict without a reason. You'll need to use the new system, which means proving one of the specific grounds for possession (like rent arrears, wanting to sell, or moving back in yourself- to name a few!).
All Tenancies Become Periodic
Most assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) will convert to periodic assured tenancies; however, private Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) is exempt from this regime and may still utilize fixed-term contracts.
What this means: your tenants can give two months' notice and leave whenever they want. You can only end tenancies using specific grounds for possession, no more waiting for a fixed term to end and declining to renew.
New Grounds for Possession
You'll now need to prove one of the statutory grounds to regain your property. These include:
Ground 1: You want to move back in (or your family does)
Ground 1A: You want to sell the property
Rent arrears grounds: For tenants who don't pay
Breach grounds: For tenants who break their tenancy terms
Antisocial behaviour/criminal grounds: For serious misconduct
Various other grounds: Redevelopment, false statements, etc.
Each ground has its own notice period, evidence requirements, and rules.
Twelve-Month Protection for New Tenants
You can't evict new tenants straight away. If you start a new tenancy after 1 May 2026, you cannot evict that tenant by claiming you want to move back in or sell the property for the first 12 months. This stops landlords from using "I'm selling" or "I'm moving in" as a convenient excuse to remove tenants whenever they want, which would defeat the whole point of abolishing no-fault evictions.
If you say you're selling or moving in, you have to mean it. If you successfully evict a tenant by claiming you want to sell or move in, you're banned from renting out that property or even advertising it for rent for 12 months afterwards. If you do re-let within that period, you face serious penalties. The purpose is to ensure landlords only use these grounds when they genuinely intend to sell or occupy the property.
Advance Rent Limits Apply: From this date, you can only request a maximum of one month's rent in advance. Asking for more could result in a financial penalty of up to £5,000.
Rental Bidding Becomes Illegal: You cannot invite, encourage, or accept offers above your advertised rent. The penalty for rental bidding offences is up to £7,000.
Anti-Discrimination Rules Take Effect: You cannot refuse tenants because they receive housing benefit or Universal Credit, or because they have children. Discriminating on these grounds becomes a legal offence.
Pet Request Rules Apply: Tenants gain the right to request permission to keep a pet. You must respond in writing within 28 days, either granting consent, refusing it, or requesting further information.
You can only refuse on reasonable grounds, and you cannot require the tenant to purchase pet damage insurance as that provision was removed from the final Act, standard deposits are expected to cover potential damage.
Guarantor Protections Begin: New rules prevent guarantors (someone who agrees to cover the rent if the tenant can't pay) from being liable for rent that falls due after a tenant dies. This applies to guarantee agreements signed after the new rules take effect.
Rent Repayment Orders Extended: Tenants now have two years (instead of the previous 12 months) to apply for a Rent Repayment Order for certain offences. If you've committed a housing offence, tenants have longer to come after you.
Rent Increase Notice Period: You must provide the tenant with a notice detailing the proposed rent increase at least 2 months before it is due to take effect.
Late 2026: The Private Rented Sector Database Begins Rolling Out
The new Private Rented Sector Database will roll out gradually by area from late 2026. The government hasn't given an exact date yet.
You'll need to register all your rental properties on this publicly searchable database. Prospective tenants will be able to check whether a property is legitimately registered and see any enforcement history against the landlord.
Think of this as a licensing system. If your property isn't registered, you won't be able to legally let it out. You can expect to pay a registration fee!
2026-2028: The Landlord Ombudsman
The new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman Service will be rolled out in stages. The government expects mandatory sign up for landlords to take effect in 2028, once the Secretary of State is satisfied the service is ready for delivery. A scheme administrator will be selected 12 to 18 months before implementation, and you will be given notice of the date you must register.
Once it is running, membership will be mandatory for all private landlords. The Ombudsman will handle tenant complaints about issues like repairs, deposits and landlord conduct, providing an alternative to going to court. The Ombudsman can make binding decisions and order compensation.
You can also expect to pay a membership fee.
Later Date: Social Housing Catches Up
The new tenancy system (periodic assured tenancy) will extend to social housing assured tenancies (where the landlord is a private registered provider of social housing) at a later date. The delay is necessary because the government needs to run a statutory consultation process to update the Direction to the Regulator of Social Housing. If you're a registered provider, you'll have more time but the same fundamental changes are coming.
By 2030: Energy Efficiency Standards
The government plans to require all privately rented homes to meet EPC rating C or better by 2030, unless exempt.
If your property is currently rated D, E, F, or G, start planning improvements now. Insulation, boiler upgrades, double glazing whatever it takes to hit that C rating. The cost of retrofitting will only increase as the deadline approaches and demand for contractors spikes.
2035 at the Earliest: Decent Homes Standard
The Decent Homes Standard—currently only applying to social housing—will extend to the private rented sector. A government consultation suggested this won't come into effect until 2035 at the earliest.
This sets minimum standards for things like heating, freedom from damp, and general state of repair. If your property wouldn't pass muster as social housing today, you've got roughly a decade to bring it up to standard.
Future Date: Awaab's Law Extension
Awaab's Law, which requires social landlords to fix hazards like damp and mould within set timeframes, will be extended to private landlords. The government has confirmed its intention to introduce legally enforceable timeframes for addressing health hazards in private rentals, though the precise implementation date remains subject to consultation. While this reform appears alongside the Decent Homes Standard in the government's phased roadmap, no formal confirmation has been given that the two will commence simultaneously.
The direction of travel is clear: You will eventually face legal deadlines for addressing health hazards in your properties.
What Should You Do Now?
The 1 May 2026 deadline is approaching fast. Here's how to use the time:
Review any planned Section 21 evictions. If you're considering using Section 21, you need to serve notice and begin proceedings well before the deadline and even then, strict transitional rules apply.
Get familiar with the new grounds. Understand exactly what you'll need to prove to regain possession. The grounds exist, but they require evidence and proper procedures.
Audit your paperwork. Deposit protections, gas safety certificates, EPCs, How to Rent guides. Make sure everything is in order.
Check your properties against future standards. What's your EPC rating? Would you pass the Decent Homes Standard? Better to plan improvements now than scramble later.
Budget for new costs. Database registration fees, Ombudsman membership, potential property upgrades: factor these into your financial planning.
Decide your strategy. For properties that are marginal, barely profitable, in poor condition, or difficult to manage. The new rules might change your calculations. Make proactive decisions rather than being forced into reactive ones.