The Renters Rights Act 2025 is the long-awaited government reform of the private rental sector. This represents the most significant change to the private rental sector since the Housing Act 1988.
Although the Act has now received Royal Assent, most provisions within the Act are only expected to come into force during 2026 with a phased implementation.
Landlords should prepare for the changes now to avoid compliance risks once the implementation process commences.
Landlord compliance checklist
1. Tenancy agreements
Fixed term tenancy agreements will be abolished under the Act. All current fixed term tenancy agreements will automatically convert to a periodic tenancy once the Act applies. All new tenancy agreements cannot contain a fixed term element and will be rolling with no fixed end date.
Landlords should review and amend any existing tenancy agreement templates to reflect the changes.
Our commercial property team are available to support you through these changes.
2. Ending tenancies
The Section 21 “no fault” eviction process will be abolished by May 2026 and landlords will no longer be able to serve this notice. The Act will introduce more grounds into the current Section 8 model which landlords will need to rely on if they wish to seek possession. As each claim for possession will now be under the Section 8 route, all possession claims will require a hearing.
Landlords should review the new Section 8 grounds to familiarise themselves with these and gain an understanding of the Section 8 possession process.
3. Rent payments
Under the Act, any advanced rental payments will be capped at one month’s rent. In addition, any rent increase that a landlord may wish to impose must be done by way of serving a formal notice i.e., a Section 13 notice. In addition, the rent cannot increase more than once in 12 months.
Landlords will need to ensure that any rent review clause is removed from draft tenancy agreements once the Act is implemented and ensure that any rent increase on existing tenancies are done correctly.
4. Pets and discrimination
Blanket bans on pets will no longer be permitted – landlords must now consider requests reasonably. However, a landlord can request that a tenant obtain specific insurance to cover any pet they wish to house in the property.
A further ban will be implemented on refusing tenancy applications based on potential tenants having children or being in receipt of benefits.
Landlords should now start to review their referencing process and advertising strategies to ensure compliance.
5. Registration and redress
The Property Redress Scheme is being introduced under the Act - all landlords and their properties must be registered on this database. Landlords will also be required to join a government approved Ombudsman scheme. These two schemes are designed to regulate rented accommodation and provide assistance to any landlord or tenant who may face a dispute.
These schemes will require landlords to show that the property has the relevant safety certificates and meets the Decent Homes Standard.
Landlords should ensure that they have a complete property portfolio with all the relevant documents for each of their rental properties.
If you need further assistance, contact our specialist solicitors today on 0161 696 6170 or fill in our enquiry form.
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