Renters' Rights Act

The Renters' Rights Act is changing how renting works for tenants and landlords. The changes aim to make renting safer and fairer for tenants and landlords.

From 1 May 2026, several changes came into place in the private rented sector:

New rules on starting and ending tenancies

Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions have been abolished:

Landlords can no longer use Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict tenants.

Reformed possession grounds will be fairer for both parties: 

• tenants can only be evicted with a specific, legally valid reason, otherwise known as a ‘possession ground’;
• possession grounds have been extended to make it easier for landlords to evict tenants when they want to sell the property, move into the property or move in members of their family;
• the changes will also make it easier to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour. 

Fixed term tenancies are banned: 

• most new and existing tenancies in the private rented sector will become assured periodic tenancies, or ‘rolling tenancies’;
• this means renters will be able to stay in their property until they end the tenancy or until a landlord serves a valid notice to end it or obtains a court/possession order.

Changes to rent and payments

Rent increases limited to once per year:  

• Landlords have to follow the new legal process for increasing the rent.
• This will include providing the tenant with notice, detailing the proposed rent increase at least two months before that increase is due to take effect.

Rental bidding is banned:

• Landlords have to include a specific price on any written property advertisement.
• They aren't allowed to ask for, encourage, or accept an offer that’s higher.

Requiring large amounts of rent in advance has been banned:

• Landlords are only allowed to ask for one month’s rent in the period between all parties signing the tenancy and the tenancy starting. They cannot accept any payment of rent before this period.
• Once the tenancy’s begun, landlords cannot require any payment of rent before it’s due. 

New requirements for tenancies

As a landlord, you’ll need to understand the new rules for tenancy agreements. 

You need to make sure that you give your tenant written information about the terms of their tenancy: 

For most tenancies that started before 1 May 2026 you won’t need to change or re-issue any existing written tenancy agreements. Instead, you need to send your tenants a copy of the government-produced Information Sheet, either digitally or on paper. You have until 31 May 2026 to send this to all your tenants.

If there’s no written record of the tenancy terms – because the tenancy is based on a verbal agreement, for example – you’ll need to provide tenants with a written record of specific terms of the agreement. The government has published guidance for what should be included.

For tenancies that start on or after 1 May 2026 you’ll need to provide your tenants with certain information about the tenancy in writing. You could do this in a tenancy agreement. The government has published guidance of what should be included.

Discrimination against renters who have children or receive benefits is illegal:  

• Landlords can't do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits;
• this includes withholding information about a property (including its availability), preventing them from viewing it, and refusing to grant a tenancy.

You must consider tenant requests to rent with a pet: 

• you have to consider and respond to your tenant’s request within a set timeframe and have to provide valid reasons if you choose to refuse it.

Other elements of the Renters’ Rights Act will take effect in later phases. In the future, a database, an ombudsman, Awaab’s Law, and the Decent Homes Standard will all be implemented in the private rented sector.

How do I keep up-to-date?

We will update this webpage and our other communications channels when the next stages of the Renters Rights Act come into force.

The below links may provide some useful further reading.

Government Guidance on the Renters' Rights Act

Landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities in the private rented sector

Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents

Read the full legislation on the government website

If you have any questions or queries regarding the above, please email us at housingadmin@hastings.gov.uk