The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces reforms to the private rental sector in England. The Act received Royal Ascent on the 27th October 2025. The full shape of the changes are still to be confirmed; because once an Act becomes Law, the text is final but majority of provisions still need further regulation before they can come into force.
Here we’ll look at the key changes, timelines and staying compliant.
📅 Timeline
- 27th October 2025: Bill received Royal Assent- the Act becomes Law
- 27th December 2025: Local Government Enforcement and investigatory powers begin – this is CONFIRMED
- 1st May 2026 (CONFIRMED): Main tenancy reforms are expected
- End of Section 21 notices
- Periodic tenancies (all existing AST’s will also convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) )
- New expanded grounds for possession
- Limits on taking rent in advance
- Rent increases notified using Section 13 notices
- Pets can be requested by tenants
- October 2026 (ESTIMATED): Launch of Private Rental Sector (PRS) database and redress scheme. Awaab’s Law rollout begins.
- 2027 – 2028 (ESTIMATED): Ombudsman operational
- 2035 (ESTIMATED): Decent Homes Standard rollout begins
Full implementation details are still to be announced but the government is likely to give landlords and agents 3-6 months to prepare before the act is enforced.
🔑 Key Reforms
End of Section 21 Evictions
- Section 21s will be abolished.
- Section 21 Notice can still be served any time before the implementation date. If notice was served before the law changes you can still proceed through the courts if tenant fails to vacate.
- Section 8 will need to be served using a mandatory or discretionary ground for possession (e.g. rent arrears, selling property, moving back in, anti-social behaviour etc).
- Each Section 8 ground has different notice periods (e.g. no notice, 2 weeks, 2 months or 4 months).
- Section 8 court procedures remain the same.
- Section 8, Ground 8 (Rent arrears- mandatory ground) has changed. Tenant will now need to be in 3 months rent arrears for this ground to be served. Notice period is 3 weeks.
- Discretionary ground 10 & 11 cover for persistent late payments and when rent is lawfully due. Important for any evidence of discretionary grounds to be well documented as will be needed as evidence in court.
- Landlords will be prohibited from re-marketing/letting property within 12 months of serving Section 8, 1, 1A or 1B (mandatory grounds for selling/moving in).
- Non-compliance will result in £7000 fine for initial offence and up to £40,000 or face criminal prosecution for subsequent offences.
Periodic Tenancies - All existing tenancies become periodic (monthly rolling). Tenants will need to be informed, within a month of the Act being enforced, in writing that their tenancy will be converted to a APT. The government is likely to provide what needs to be sent.
- All new tenancies must be written agreements and will be APT.
- Tenants can leave with two months’ notice.
- Landlords must follow legal grounds to end tenancies.
Rent Increases - Served as Section 13 and good practice to keep increases in line with market rent.
- Limited to once per year (or once every 52 weeks).
- Requires two months’ written notice from date Section 13 is served.
- Tenant and landlord can mutually agree a new lower sum to prevent going to First Tier Tribunal (FTT).
- Tenants can challenge increases via FTT if no agreement is made, tenant must apply before date of increase on Section 13.
Advance Rent Cap - Maximum of one month’s rent upfront.
- Tenant can offer voluntarily but the payment cannot be accepted before tenancy has started.
- Landlords can still request guarantors.
Minimum 12-Month Protection - Tenants cannot be evicted within the first year unless they breach the agreement.
- If the Landlord wishes to sell the property or move in themselves, they can serve 4 months’ notice starting from month 8.
Pets - All requests for pets will need to be reviewed case by case.
- Landlords can still refuse to accept pets at application or advertise property as ‘no pets’. Equality Act means must allow for service animals for disabled tenants.
- Act allows tenants to ask for permission once in property and this cannot be unreasonably refused- case by case is important.
- You may need to prove there are reasonable grounds to refuse. Important for all requests to be clearly documented and shared with tenant if requested.
- Tenants can challenge decision at First Tier Tribunal.
Ban on Rental Bidding - The Act stops invitation, encouragement or acceptance of higher rent than advertised.
Rental Discrimination - Tenants should be selected based on objective criteria (employment security, affordability, referencing and credibility would be valid reasons).
- Guarantors still to be used on case-by-case basis.
- Unable to blanket ban on children and benefits.
- Applications can still be declined with no reasons given.
Improved Property Standards - Required to commence investigations into reported hazards, including damp and mould, within 14 days of being notified.
- Within same 14 days landlord must provide tenants with written report detailed hazard identified, proposed remedial and clear timeline of completion.
- Significant health and safety risk, repair works must begin with 7 days of investigation.
- Hazard with imminent danger repairs must be started within 24 hours
- If can’t be completed within specified time frames, landlords are obligated to offer alternative accommodation.
- If a matter of health and safety, agent can act in landlord’s best interest.
Private Rented Section (PRS) Database & Redress Scheme - Landlords will need to register with redress scheme and database.
- There will be a fee for the database, but government has not disclosed what this will be and if it will be a one-off payment or annual payment.
- Database is not the same as Selective Licensing.
- Still not clear if landlords will need no register themselves or if agents will be allowed to do this on their behalf. Although has been suggested likely agents will be able to do this.
- Properties registered individually as each property will have an ID code which is required for advertising.
- Adverts will have to display landlord identification number and property identification number.
- Compliance documents for each property will need to be uploaded.
- All data will be held centrally.
- Non-compliance can lead to banning order or rent repayment order.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us! Our team would be happy to hear from you.
