Renters’ Rights

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (RRA) received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025.

The RRA marks the most significant reform to England’s private rented sector in a generation and is the cornerstone in the delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change manifesto commitment to rebalance the relationship between England’s 2.3 million landlords and 11 million tenants.

The implementation of the RRA is ambitious, and its provisions are anticipated to be brought into force by way of a three phased approach introducing a new tenancy system along with new enforcement measures and investigatory powers for local councils against landlords and letting agents in breach of the RRA.

Phase 1

From 1 May 2026, Phase 1 of reforms will come into force applying equally to new and existing tenancies. This is when the new assured periodic tenancy system will come into effect. The reforms will include:

• The abolition of section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.
• The end of fixed term tenancies (ASTs) and the introduction of assured periodic tenancies, with a maximum rent period of one month.
• Reform of the grounds of possession.
• A strict statutory process to be followed where landlords want to increase rent. Tenants will have the right to challenge all rent increases, including the starting rent within the first six months of a tenancy.
• A ban on the practice of “rental bidding” and taking more than one month’s rent in advance.
• An end to discriminating practices by landlords against renters who have children or receive benefits.
• Requiring a landlord to consider a request by a tenant to keep a pet.
• Tenants will be able to terminate a tenancy at any time with two months’ notice.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of implementation of the RRA will follow in late 2026 and it is during this phase that we will see the introduction of a Database of PRS properties and the establishment of a PRS Landlord Ombudsman where tenants will be able to lodge complaints against landlords. Landlords in the private rental sector will be required to enrol (paying an annual fee) on the Database.

Phase 3

Finally, Phase 3 of the implementation of the RRA is set to introduce a Decent Homes Standard (DHS) to the private rental sector and extend Awaab’s Law to the PRS. The detail on this phase is limited at this stage.

The reforms are supported by the significant strengthening of local authority enforcement powers. The RRA will enable local authorities to impose civil penalties for breaches of landlords’ obligations and duties (up to £7,000 for breaches of most of the new landlord obligations increasing to up to £40,000 for repeated breaches) and provides greater powers to tenants to apply for rent repayment orders where statutory offences are committed by their landlord.

While many of the changes are contained in the RRA itself, the government will need to make secondary legislation (in the form of regulations) to add further detail to some provisions and to bring the RRA’s measures into force. 

Milestones