Renters’ Rights Act
For Tenants

Since 1 May 2026, your landlord can no longer ask you to leave using a Section 21 notice - the so-called “no-fault” eviction. A landlord who wants you to leave needs a specific legal reason under Section 8, such as:

• They genuinely intend to sell the property.
• They or a close family member want to move in.
• You are in significant rent arrears.
• There is proven serious anti-social behaviour.
• You have materially breached the tenancy agreement.

Your landlord must use the correct form and give you the correct notice period - anywhere from two weeks to four months depending on the ground. If they don’t, you can challenge it in court.

Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) were abolished on 1 May 2026. Your tenancy is now a rolling periodic tenancy, which means:

• You are no longer locked into a 6- or 12-month agreement, and no new fixed term can be granted.
• You can leave at any time by giving two months’ written notice.
• Your rights and protections under the tenancy remain the same.

This gives you far more flexibility if your circumstances change - a new job, family change, or you simply find somewhere better.

Your landlord can only increase your rent once per year, and must give you at least two months’ written notice using the correct Section 13 form. The new rent must reflect market rent for the property.

If you believe the increase is above the market rate, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal - an independent body that decides what fair rent should be. The tribunal cannot raise the rent above what the landlord proposed, so there is no downside to challenging an unfair increase.

Since 1 May 2026 a landlord or agent cannot ask you for rent in advance before you have signed the tenancy agreement, and once it is signed they cannot require more than one month’s rent before the tenancy starts.

This is separate from your deposit and from a holding deposit, which have their own limits. It ended the practice of asking for six or twelve months up front, which used to shut out anybody who could not find a large sum at short notice.

Landlords and agents must now advertise a clear asking rent for every property. They cannot invite, encourage, or accept offers above that figure. If you see an agent or landlord pressuring applicants to bid up, they are breaking the law.

Since 1 May 2026, blanket bans such as “No DSS” or “No Children” are illegal. Landlords and agents can still carry out reasonable affordability checks on you as an individual, but they cannot reject you simply because you receive benefits or have a family.

You have a strengthened right to request to keep a pet in the property. Your landlord must consider any reasonable request and cannot unreasonably refuse.

If your landlord agrees, they cannot require you to take out pet insurance or charge you for it. You may still choose to arrange cover for potential damage, and it can be a sensible precaution.

The Decent Homes Standard - which has applied to social housing for years - is being extended to the private rented sector, applying in full from 2035. Your home will need to meet minimum standards on:

• Structural condition
• Heating and hot water
• Freedom from damp and mould
• Working kitchens and bathrooms
• General state of repair

Awaab’s Law - named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 from prolonged exposure to mould in his home - will require landlords to investigate and fix hazards like damp and mould within set timescales. It already applies to social housing. The Government is still consulting on the detail for private rentals, with the consultation closing in December 2026, and no start date has been set. Once it applies, if a landlord does not act you can seek a court order and compensation.

Tip: If you have reported a problem and your landlord hasn’t responded, keep a written record - emails, texts, and dates of calls. This evidence is invaluable if you need to take things further.

A new PRS Landlord Ombudsman service is expected to follow the landlord database, currently anticipated around 2028. All private landlords will need to be members, giving you an independent route to resolve disputes without going to court. The Ombudsman will be able to investigate complaints, make binding decisions, and order compensation where appropriate. Until it opens, the routes below are the ones to use.

A new national database of private landlords opens on 15 December 2026 and rolls out region by region, starting with the West Midlands. Landlords here in the South East can register from 15 March 2027, and every rental property in England must be registered by 14 November 2027. You’ll be able to check that your landlord is registered and compliant before signing a tenancy, giving you peace of mind about who you’re renting from.

By 31 May 2026, your landlord had to provide you with the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet - either digitally or on paper. This sheet explains your rights in plain English. If you have not received yours, ask for it: a landlord who fails to provide it can face civil penalties of up to £7,000.