England’s 11 million private renters are just six weeks away from the most significant overhaul of the country’s rental laws in a generation, as key provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act take effect on 1 May.
The landmark legislation, which received Royal Assent in October 2025 after years of debate and a manifesto promise from the Labour government, aims to rebalance power between tenants and landlords in England’s private rented sector.
The changes promise greater security for renters while imposing new responsibilities on landlords and letting agents.
The most headline-grabbing reform is the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions. Currently, landlords can end assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) without giving a reason by serving a two-month Section 21 notice.
From 1 May, landlords will no longer be able to use this mechanism for most cases. Evictions will instead require grounds under Section 8, such as rent arrears, antisocial behavior, or property damage, and typically involve longer notice periods and court proceedings.
Alongside this, fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies will end. All existing and new private tenancies will convert to open-ended assured periodic tenancies.
This means renters can stay in their homes indefinitely unless a valid eviction ground applies, providing far greater security than the current system of fixed terms that often force moves every six or 12 months.
Other key changes include:
- Stronger protections against unreasonable rent increases, with tenants able to challenge hikes they believe exceed market rates.
- Enhanced rights to request permission to keep pets, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.
- Limits on upfront rent payments (typically capped at one month’s rent in advance, beyond a standard deposit).
- Improved enforcement powers for local councils to tackle poor standards, illegal evictions, and other breaches.
To ensure a smooth transition, the government published the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on Friday (20 March). Landlords and letting agents now have a legal duty to provide this document to tenants by May 31, 2026 – either as a hard copy or PDF.
For existing tenants without a written tenancy agreement, landlords must also supply a written statement of key terms. Failure to comply risks fines of up to £7,000.
The government describes the reforms as the biggest shake-up to renting in decades, designed to end insecurity that has contributed to homelessness and made it difficult for tenants to challenge substandard conditions or retaliatory evictions.
“The Renters’ Rights Act is a major step towards re-balancing power between renters and landlords, giving us greater security in our homes. Ahead of the new law coming into action, it’s vital renters take the time to understand what these new rights are and how to respond if landlords break the rules,” said Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent.
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