The Renters' Rights Act: An Overview
What the Act is, when it came into force, and the key changes every landlord must understand.
What is the Renters' Rights Act?
The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent in 2025 and its main provisions came into force on 1 May 2026. It is the most significant reform of the private rented sector in England since the Housing Act 1988.
The Act abolishes fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21 'no-fault' evictions. All new tenancies are now assured periodic tenancies with no fixed end date. Existing fixed-term tenancies converted to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026.
The Act also introduces new Section 8 possession grounds, a new rent increase process, pet obligations, discrimination rules and a new Private Rented Sector Database that landlords must register with.
- Section 21 abolished — no-fault evictions are no longer possible
- All tenancies are now assured periodic tenancies
- New Section 8 grounds allow landlords to recover possession for legitimate reasons
- Rent increases must use Form 4A and give two months' notice
- Landlords must consider pet requests in writing within 28 days
- A new Private Rented Sector Database requires landlord registration
Implementation timeline
The Act received Royal Assent in 2025. The main provisions — including the abolition of Section 21, the new tenancy structure and the new possession grounds — came into force on 1 May 2026.
The Private Rented Sector Database is being phased in. Landlords should monitor GOV.UK for registration requirements and deadlines.
All references to '2025' in this handbook refer to the year of Royal Assent. All references to '2026' refer to implementation dates. The Act is in force — these are not future changes.