The Renters' Rights Act 2025: what changes for tenants in England starting 1 May 2026

The biggest change to renting in a generation

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its main provisions come into force on 1 May 2026. It applies to private tenancies in England.

It is not a minor update. It abolishes the type of tenancy agreement that has been standard for 30 years, ends the most commonly used eviction route, and introduces new rights around rent increases, pets, and discrimination.

This guide explains what changes, what stays the same, and what you should check in your own agreement.

Fixed-term tenancies are abolished

Until now, most private tenancies were assured shorthold tenancies with a fixed term, typically six or twelve months. From 1 May 2026, this type of tenancy no longer exists.

All private tenancies in England become periodic tenancies. This means they roll from month to month (or week to week if that is how rent is paid) with no end date built in. You are no longer tied to a fixed period. You can stay as long as you like, or leave by giving two months' written notice.

If you had an existing fixed-term tenancy before 1 May 2026, it is converted automatically to a periodic tenancy on that date. You do not need to sign a new agreement.

If a landlord or letting agent gives you a new agreement after 1 May 2026 that includes a fixed end date, that clause is unenforceable. The law overrides the contract. It may simply mean they are using outdated paperwork, but it is worth flagging before you sign.

Section 21 evictions are abolished

Section 21 was the mechanism that allowed landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. A landlord could simply issue a notice and, once the fixed term expired, apply to court for possession. Tenants had no right to challenge the decision on its merits.

From 1 May 2026, Section 21 no longer exists. A landlord cannot remove you from your home without a valid legal reason.

This is the most significant individual change in the Act. It removes what housing charities called "the biggest threat" to renters, the ability to be evicted for complaining about repairs, asking questions, or simply being inconvenient.

How landlords can still end a tenancy

Abolishing Section 21 does not mean landlords have no route to possession. The Act introduces 18 statutory grounds under which a landlord can apply to court to end a tenancy.

Some of the main grounds include:

• Rent arrears. The threshold has increased from 2 months to 3 months' arrears before a landlord can act, and they must give four weeks' notice.
• The landlord wants to sell the property. This ground cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. The landlord must give four months' notice and cannot re-let the property for 12 months after using this ground.
• The landlord or a close family member wants to move in. The same 12-month restriction and four-month notice period applies.
• Serious antisocial behaviour. This remains a ground for faster action.

The key point is that landlords must now justify possession in court. If the ground does not apply, the court will not grant it.

Rent increases: new limits and stronger challenge rights

From 1 May 2026, your landlord can only raise your rent once per year. They must give you at least two months' written notice using a Section 13 notice, and the proposed rent must reflect the open market rate for comparable properties.

If you believe the increase is above market rate, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. There is no cost to do this. Importantly, the Tribunal cannot award a rent higher than what your landlord originally proposed, so challenging carries no financial risk.

Landlords also cannot encourage or accept rental bids above their advertised asking price. If an agent invites a bidding war, that is now a civil offence.

Pets: landlords cannot unreasonably refuse

Under the Act, you have the right to request permission to keep a pet. Your landlord has 28 days to consider the request and must provide written reasons if they refuse. They cannot unreasonably refuse.

If your landlord does refuse and you believe the refusal is unreasonable, you can take the dispute to the ombudsman or to court.

Landlords can require you to take out pet damage insurance as a condition of approval. They cannot simply refuse on principle.

Discrimination on benefits or family status is now illegal

Before the Act, landlords could lawfully refuse to consider tenants receiving housing benefit or with children. Many advertised properties with "DSS not accepted" or "no children" as standard.

From 1 May 2026, this is illegal. A landlord or agent cannot refuse to provide information about a property, prevent a viewing, or decline a tenancy on the basis that you receive benefits or have children. Civil penalties of up to £7,000 apply.

Rent in advance is capped

Landlords can no longer demand large upfront payments. Before you move in, the maximum they can require is one month's rent. Pre-tenancy demands beyond that are prohibited.

This is a meaningful change for renters who have previously faced requests for three or six months' rent in advance as an informal filter on who can access a property.

What about the landlord database and ombudsman?

Two further changes are coming but not yet live.

A mandatory Private Rented Sector Database will require all landlords to register their properties, including safety certificates and contact details. This is expected to launch in late 2026.

A mandatory ombudsman scheme will require all private landlords to join, giving tenants a free route to resolve disputes without going to court. This is expected around 2028.

What this means for your tenancy agreement

Many tenancy agreements currently in circulation were drafted before the Act. Some will contain clauses that are now unlawful or simply no longer relevant: fixed end dates, break clause mechanisms, references to Section 21, and rent review clauses that allow more than one increase per year.

You do not need to understand every clause yourself. Heulex checks your agreement against current legal standards and flags anything that looks inconsistent with your rights under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Know your move.