With the Renters’ Rights Act receiving Royal Assent on 27th October 2025, the government has revealed when the first of its provisions will take effect.
The UK government has announced that 1st May 2026 will mark the first of a sweeping package of reforms as set out in the Renters’ Rights Act.
The first timelined reforms from the act will focus on the much-debated abolition of Section 21 evictions, as well as rules relating to contracts, pet ownership and discrimination.
Other provisions, such as the extension of Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, have yet to receive an official timeline for implementation, but the government remains committed to ensuring that these protections are applied to private rental tenants.
The first of the provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act will mainly focus on the contractual aspects of managing rental properties.
The new rules are intended to furnish renters with greater protections from eviction, as well as fairer terms relating to private rent contracts and combating discriminatory behaviour.
Commenting on the implementation of the bill, Housing Secretary Steve Reed suggested that the government was ‘calling time’ on ‘rogue landlords’, by initiating a raft of measures in the Renters’ Rights Act.
“We’re now on a countdown of just months to that law coming in – so good landlords can get ready and bad landlords should clean up their act,” he added.
The abolishment of Section 21, ‘no fault’ evictions, has arguably been the most hotly contested component of the Renters’ Rights Act.
As of 1st May 2026, landlords will no longer be allowed to evict tenants without providing legitimate grounds.
Some within the rental market have voiced concerns about what happens when tenancies go wrong, but landlords will still have the right to evict tenants provided that they have grounds to do so, such as moving into the property, selling, due to unpaid rent, or in response to antisocial behaviour.
Significant changes are incoming for how rental contracts will be implemented. From May next year, all private rental contracts will be rolling and not fixed.
The government claims that month-to-month, or even week-to-week, contracts will offer tenants greater freedom and security.
Additionally, tenants will be able to end contracts by providing two months’ notice, freeing them from longer contractual obligations.
In a move to end rental ‘bidding wars’ where potential tenants compete with one another to ‘bid’ for a rented property, it will become illegal for landlords to accept offers above the advertised rental price.
This will apply to both landlords and letting agents.
Whether this will result in higher initial prices for rental listings remains to be seen, but the government claims that the move will lead to a fairer rental process.
The implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act will make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against potential tenants because they have children or are on benefits.
Landlords will still be able to conduct affordability and reference checks before signing a contract with a new tenant.
It will soon be illegal for landlords to demand large advance payments from tenants to secure a tenancy.
From May 2026, landlords will only be able to ask for one month’s rent to secure a tenancy, although this amount could also be 28 days’ rent if the tenancy is less than a month.
Landlords will be limited to increasing rents just once per year, by providing tenants with two months’ notice of their intention to do so.
Furthermore, rent increases will be limited to matching the ‘market rate,’ meaning that landlords will not be able to simply introduce a single rent increase that is far ahead of a fair market price.
If tenants believe that rent increases are in excess of the current market rate, they will be able to challenge their landlord at a first-tier tribunal.
The Renters’ Rights Act states that the government is ‘committed to supporting responsible pet ownership in the private rented sector.’
As such, as of May 2026, landlords will not be able to refuse tenants the right to live with a pet without a reasonable reason.
To help clarify what a ‘reasonable’ concern is, the government has published further guidance for tenants and landlords, but broadly speaking:
Landlords can refuse a request for a pet when
It will not typically be reasonable for a landlord to refuse a request for a pet if
From its journey through Parliament to implementation, the Renters’ Rights Act has been a contentious bill.
While the government has championed the bill as a landmark piece of legislation designed to protect tenants, opinion has been mixed across the rental landscape.
Groups supporting renters have broadly welcomed the bill, but some landlords have voiced concerns about both the content of the act as well as the amount of time given to adapt to the upcoming changes.
The rental market has already experienced significant change in recent years, leading some landlords to decide to downsize their portfolios or even exit the industry altogether.
It remains to be seen what impact the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act will have on the rental market, but for now, it’s clear that the government is keen to press ahead with its legislation.
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Landlords often choose auction sales for their ease and speed, but also because they allow for the sale of tenanted properties, which is a hassle-free way to sell for both landlords and their tenants.
Avoiding lengthy eviction processes also enables landlords to continue taking rent while the property sells, and therefore avoid losing money with costly void periods.
Furthermore, if you are thinking of selling a recently vacated property that has been left in poor condition by your previous tenants, selling at auction can be the ideal solution.
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To find out more, contact our friendly and professional team for a free, no-obligation property appraisal today.
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