Get the updated Renters’ Rights Guide. Key changes, enforcement, rent increases, and a readiness checklist for landlords.
Page last update: 19th February 2026
Renters’ Rights Act 2026
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already done the deep dive. Most landlords have. The issue now is not awareness, it’s readiness.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and the government’s implementation roadmap confirms Phase 1 comes into force from 1 May 2026.
Our view is simple: landlords don’t need to panic, they need a plan.
A plan that protects income, reduces risk, and keeps your process watertight in a more enforcement-led landscape.
Renters’ Rights Act summary
The Renters’ Rights Act introduces a new tenancy framework and strengthens enforcement. Phase 1 (from 1 May 2026) includes:
- Section 21 ends (no-fault eviction) in the private rented sector
- Assured Periodic Tenancies become the default tenancy regime
- Section 8 grounds are reformed, including measures designed to deal with serious rent arrears and anti-social behaviour
- Rent increases limited to once per year, using the revised Section 13 process, with at least 2 months’ notice
- Ban on rental bidding, plus limits on rent in advance (no more than 1 month’s rent in advance)
- Stronger rights to request a pet, with landlords required to consider requests and not unreasonably refuse
Timeline at a glance
- 27 October 2025: the Act became law
- 1 May 2026: the first major changes land (Phase 1)
- After that: further measures follow, including the PRS Database and Landlord Ombudsman
Rent increases under the Renters’ Rights Act
From 1 May 2026, rent increases are expected to be limited to once per year, using the revised Section 13 process, with at least 2 months’ notice.
That makes it even more important to know where your rent sits today, with evidence, not guesswork.
Two quick ways to check your current rent:
- Get an instant estimate (30 seconds, no obligation)
- Book a rent review with our team (market evidence + strategy)
Pets and the Renters’ Rights Act
Pets are one of the most searched topics for a reason. Guidance supports strengthened rights for tenants to request a pet, and landlords must consider requests and not unreasonably refuse.
Section 21 ending does not mean you cannot regain possession
It means the “no-fault” route disappears. Possession is regained via Section 8, using a valid legal ground. The practical shift is simple: it becomes less about what you meant to do, and more about what you can prove, quickly, with a consistent paper trail.
Enforcement and penalties
This is the part most landlords miss. Enforcement is strengthening. Standards matter more, repeat issues are treated more seriously, and penalties escalate faster when steps are missed. In this landscape, compliance stops being admin and becomes a financial risk.
Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) are central to that shift. In certain cases, tenants (and local authorities) can reclaim up to 2 years’ rent where housing-related offences are proven.
When things go wrong, it’s less about what you meant to do and more about what you can prove, quickly, with a watertight file.
→ Download the 2-page guide: Enforcement, penalties and RROs
A good plan should answer these five questions:
- If something goes wrong, how protected is your income?
- How strong is your tenant qualification and decision-making process?
- Do you know your true market rent and net position today?
- How quickly could you re-let, and how are you reducing turnover risk?
- If challenged, could you evidence compliance and process quickly?
A different route for landlords who want more control.
With the Renters’ Rights Act moving the market towards a more process-led, enforcement-led landscape, some landlords are also exploring corporate lets as part of their wider strategy, especially where they want more control over their tenancies.
For the right property, corporate lets can offer: longer stays, professional occupants, and clearer tenancy structures.
We’ve been operating in London corporate lets for over 30 years, led by an in-house Japanese consultant and working alongside over 100 major financial, shipping, manufacturing institutions to find corporate tenants their next home.
Whatever your plan from May, or five years from now, we’re here to help.
Adam Ray is our Client Services Director and leads our Renters’ Rights Act conversations with landlords across North London, from legislation and compliance through to strategy, corporate lets and income protection.
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*The stats on the website have been collected by David Astburys from data analysed over the last 24 months