What the Renters' Rights Act means for tenants and landlords

Described as the biggest shake-up to renting in England for more than 30 years, new laws giving tenants more rights start on Friday 1 May.

The Renters' Rights Act aims to give more stability and security to the 11 million people who rent from private landlords.

The new rules also mean big changes for landlords, with some warning that there could be delays evicting bad tenants from their properties.

Fixed-term tenancies, where renters are tied into contracts lasting for 12 or 24 months, are banned under the new rules. Instead, properties will be rented on a "periodic" or rolling basis.

This means that tenants who wish to remain in a property can do so. The government says the change will provide renters with greater security.

Tenants who want to leave can give two months' notice. The government says this will end "the injustice of tenants being trapped paying rent for substandard properties".

Existing tenants do not need to sign a new contract as the change happens automatically.

If you rent your home, your landlord or agent must provide you with an information sheet about the changes.

The Renters' Rights Act applies to England. Scotland has had periodic agreements for tenancies since 2017, but Wales and Northern Ireland still allow fixed-term contracts.

More than 11,000 households in England had their homes repossessed by bailiffs following a Section 21 "no-fault" eviction in the year to June 2025.

Under the new law, it is significantly harder to evict tenants.

Any valid eviction notices issued before the end of April 2026 still apply.

But from 1 May, a landlord deciding to evict a tenant must have a valid legal reason to do so.

This includes where the landlord wants to sell or move into a property - but not within the first 12 months of a tenancy.

Where a tenant is significantly behind on rent - known as being in rent arrears - the landlord will usually have to wait until they are owed three months' money before giving notice.

However tenants who damage the property or commit antisocial behaviour can be given notice at any point.

Landlords need to give four months' notice.

Under the new rules, if a tenant does not leave after that period, a judge will decide whether to order possession of the property.

If the tenant has significant rent arrears, they can be given four weeks' notice.

If the tenant has committed antisocial behaviour, a landlord can go to court immediately upon giving notice.

In court, the landlord must prove the grounds for eviction have been met, and the tenant can provide a defence.

The court will not be able to award possession for 14 days after notice was given, to allow tenants time to access support.

Some landlord groups are concerned that requiring court hearings for disputes could worsen already lengthy delays

According to the Ministry of Justice, private landlords currently wait 26 weeks - the median figure - between bringing a claim and being able to repossess a property. Ten years ago, the figure was approximately 16 weeks.

The government says it is recruiting up to 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all courts and tribunals.

Some landlords have warned that they could leave the market because of the changes.

Advice for landlords published by the government, includes a reminder that tenants must be given the information sheet on how the Renters' Rights Act affects their tenancy.

Landlords will need to give two months' notice and can only increase rent once a year to the property's "open market rent". This means the amount they could reasonably expect to receive if the property was advertised the next day.

If a tenant believes the amount is too high, they can challenge the landlord at a type of civil court called a first-tier tribunal.

"Bidding wars" are now illegal, meaning new tenants cannot be asked to pay more than the advertised price.

Average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5%, to £1,377, in the 12 months to January 2026 according to a provisional estimate by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Some campaigners in England have called for rent caps to be introduced in England, but the government has no plans to bring them in.

Scotland has announced it will bring in rent controls, which are expected to start in 2027

There are no changes to the rules of the protected deposit schemes currently operating in England to cover potential damages.

The maximum a landlord can ask for remains:

• five weeks' rent - if the rent for the year is less than £50,000
• six weeks' rent if the yearly rent is £50,000 or more

However, landlords will only be able to request one month's rent in advance to secure a tenancy - or 28 days' rent for tenancies with rental periods of less than one month.

Some landlords warn this could mean groups with insecure income, or overseas students, could be less likely to find a home in future. Many would previously have paid several months' rent in advance.

Landlords are still able to request a guarantor to take responsibility for rent payments if the tenant falls behind.

It will be illegal for landlords and agents to discriminate against prospective tenants who receive benefits or who have children.

However, landlords and agents will still be able to do reference and affordability checks before selecting a tenant.

A landlord must consider a request to have a pet and cannot "unreasonably" refuse.

Tenants will be able to challenge decisions if they think they are unfair.

A landlord may be able to refuse a pet if:

• another tenant has an allergy
• the property is too small for a large pet or several pets
• the pet is illegal
• the landlord is a leaseholder, and the freeholder does not allow pets

Tenants who live in purpose-built student accommodation - often owned by universities or large companies - will still be able to enter fixed-term tenancy agreements.

Students in these homes will have security for the duration of the academic year. However, they can be given two weeks' notice to leave once the fixed-term agreement has ended.

Private landlords who rent to students will be able to serve four months' notice with a move-out date between June and September.

This is to allow time to find new tenants for the next academic year. This only applies if everyone on the contract is a student.

The Renters' Rights Act applies to most homes in the private renting sector, including those operating as a House in Multiple Occupation, or HMO.

However, landlords who own shared housing also need to comply with separate HMO licensing and management standards which are decided by local councils.

Lodgers who live with their landlords are not covered by the new legislation. The terms of their stay are defined through a license agreement which can be discussed between the lodger and landlord.

Councils will be required to ensure landlords are complying with the new rules.

Landlords who seriously or repeatedly break the law will face fines of up to £40,000.

The government says councils have received a share of £60m to pay for enforcement.

Later in 2026, the government hopes to introduce a register of all landlords and rental properties in England, so tenants can check who they are renting from.

It is expected that a new Private Landlord Ombudsman will be set up to deal with renters' complaints outside the court system.

In addition, the government will consult over the next phase of changes, which will include extending so-called "Awaab's Law" into the private rental sector.

Named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after being exposed to mould in his Rochdale home, the law requires hazards to be repaired within a specified timeframe.

However, a mandatory "Decent Homes Standard", which would bring conditions in private properties in line with those in the social sector, will not be enforced until 2035.