When did the Renters' Rights Act come into force?

The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026. From that date, all new tenancies must be periodic (month-to-month) and fixed-term tenancies can no longer be created for assured tenancies in England.

Is Section 21 abolished?

Yes. Section 21 no-fault eviction notices were abolished on 1 May 2026. Landlords must now use one of the grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended) to repossess a property.

What is the Renters' Rights Act information sheet?

The Act requires landlords to give tenants a prescribed information sheet explaining their rights. For existing tenancies, landlords have until 31 May 2026 to provide this. Failure to do so can affect the landlord's ability to use certain possession grounds.

Can landlords still increase rent?

Yes, but only once per year and by using the statutory Section 13 notice procedure. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements are no longer enforceable for assured tenancies. Tenants can challenge any increase they consider above market rate at the First-tier Tribunal.

Do the Renters' Rights Act rules apply to existing tenancies?

Yes. Unlike the original Renters Reform Bill proposals, there was no separate 'transition date' for existing tenancies. All assured tenancies in England — new and existing — converted to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026.

What is the new Decent Homes Standard for private rentals?

The Renters' Rights Act extends the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time. Local councils have enforcement powers to require landlords to bring properties up to standard. The full enforcement regime is being phased in during 2026.

Renters Rights Act 2026: What Landlords Must Do Now

Free tool

Renters Rights compliance checklist

Run through the full landlord compliance checklist — tenancy status, rent increases, pet requests, anti-discrimination wording, possession records.

Open the tool

The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent and came into force on 1 May 2026. It is the most significant change to private renting in England since the Housing Act 1988 created the assured shorthold tenancy framework. This article covers what landlords need to do now, based on GOV.UK's private renting resources.

What changed on 1 May 2026

Three changes took effect immediately:

Fixed-term tenancies abolished. New assured tenancies must be periodic from day one. Landlords and tenants can no longer agree a fixed end date for an assured tenancy in England.
Section 21 abolished. No-fault eviction notices can no longer be served. All possession claims must use one of the grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Act.
Existing tenancies converted. All existing assured shorthold tenancies converted to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. There is no separate legacy period for tenancies already in place.

The abolition of Section 21 applies to England only. Wales introduced its own equivalent — Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 — which took effect in December 2022. Scotland operates under different legislation entirely.

Possession grounds you can now use

With Section 21 gone, landlords must rely on the Schedule 2 grounds. The most commonly used are:

Ground 1A (new): Landlord wishes to sell the property. Two months' notice required. Cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy.
Ground 1 (amended): Landlord or close family member intends to occupy. Two months' notice. Cannot be used in the first 12 months.
Ground 8 (amended): Tenant is at least two months' rent in arrears at the date of the notice and at the date of the hearing. This is a mandatory ground — the court must grant possession if the arrears threshold is met.
Ground 14: Nuisance, annoyance, or illegal use. This is a discretionary ground (two weeks' notice).

See the full updated list on GOV.UK's private renting resources page for all 18 grounds and their notice periods.

Rent increases: the new rules

Landlords can only increase rent once per 12-month period. The process is:

Serve a Section 13 notice proposing a new rent. The notice period must be at least two months.
The proposed rent must not exceed the market rent for the property.
If the tenant does not agree, they can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine the market rent.

Rent review clauses in existing tenancy agreements are now unenforceable for assured tenancies. The Section 13 procedure is the only permitted route to a rent increase.

The 31 May 2026 information sheet deadline

One of the most time-sensitive obligations in the Act is the prescribed information sheet. Landlords must provide tenants with a document explaining their rights under the new regime. For tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026, the deadline to provide this is 31 May 2026.

Failure to provide the information sheet before serving certain possession notices means those notices will be invalid. The Government has published the prescribed form — see our dedicated guide: 31 May 2026 Landlord Deadline: The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet Explained.

Decent Homes Standard extended to private renting

For the first time, the Decent Homes Standard applies to the private rented sector. Local councils have new enforcement powers to require landlords to carry out works. The standard covers:

Freedom from category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
Being in a reasonable state of repair
Having reasonably modern facilities and services
Providing a reasonable degree of thermal comfort (EPC-linked)

The thermal comfort element has a direct connection to the upcoming MEES changes. From 2030, landlords will need an EPC band C or above to let a property. Properties that are already failing the Decent Homes thermal comfort element are likely candidates for early EPC improvement works. Read more in our guide: EPC C by 2030: What the 2026 MEES Decision Means for Landlords.

Awaab's Law: response times for hazards

The Act includes Awaab's Law provisions for the private rented sector, setting mandatory response times for damp, mould, and other hazards [GOV.UK]:

14 days to investigate a reported hazard
7 days to carry out emergency repairs where there is an immediate risk to health
Reasonable time to fix non-emergency hazards after investigation

These timescales are enforceable by tenants through the courts and by local councils through their new Decent Homes enforcement powers.

The new Ombudsman scheme

All private landlords in England must join the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman. This is a mandatory requirement — not optional. Tenants can bring complaints about landlord behaviour to the Ombudsman, and landlords who do not comply with Ombudsman decisions face sanctions including civil penalties.

The Ombudsman scheme is separate from the Property Redress Scheme and the Property Ombudsman, which cover letting agents. Landlords who let through agents still need to join the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman scheme in their own right.

Property portal registration

The Act also requires all landlords to register their properties on a new national Property Portal. The portal is being phased in during 2026. Registration is compulsory — advertising a property without being registered will be a civil offence, with fines up to £5,000 for a first breach.

The portal replaces selective licensing schemes in many areas (though some councils are maintaining their local schemes while the national portal is rolled out). Check with your local council on the overlap period.

What landlords need to do now

A practical checklist:

Provide the information sheet to all existing tenants by 31 May 2026. Download the prescribed form from GOV.UK and send it to every tenant. Keep a record of when and how it was sent.
Review your tenancy agreements. Remove any fixed-term end dates or rent review clauses — they are no longer valid.
Audit your possession procedures. Any solicitors or agents who manage your properties need to know that Section 21 is gone and which Schedule 2 grounds apply to each property situation.
Check EPC ratings. The Decent Homes thermal comfort standard and the 2030 MEES changes mean that properties currently rated D or below are a compliance risk on two separate fronts. Use the Homedata EPC checker to pull current ratings across your portfolio.
Register with the PRS Landlord Ombudsman. Details of registration are on GOV.UK.
Monitor the Property Portal rollout. When registration opens in your area, register promptly.

What this could look like as a portfolio tool

Compliance tracker concept

A landlord with 20+ properties needs to know: which properties have had the information sheet sent, which tenants are approaching the 12-month mark (limiting use of Ground 1A/1), and which properties have EPC ratings below C. The Homedata EPC data endpoint returns current EPC ratings by UPRN, so a portfolio tracker could pull ratings in bulk and flag any property rated D or below — combining Renters' Rights Act compliance with MEES 2030 planning in a single view.