What is the Renters Rights Act 2026?
The Renters' Rights Act (RRA) is the most significant overhaul of the private rented sector in England and Wales in three decades. It received Royal Assent in late 2024 and came fully into force on 1 May 2026, applying immediately to all tenancies — existing and new.
The Act emerged from years of campaigning over housing insecurity and was substantially strengthened by the government that introduced it. The headline change — abolishing Section 21 "no-fault" evictions — had been floated since 2019. But the final legislation goes considerably further.
The core changes at a glance
| Area | Before RRA | After RRA (May 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Eviction without cause | Allowed via Section 21 notice | Abolished entirely |
| Tenancy type | Fixed-term ASTs common | All tenancies become periodic (rolling) |
| Rent increases | Contractual or market review clauses | Annual cap, Section 13 notice required |
| Pets | Landlords could refuse without reason | Cannot unreasonably refuse pets |
| Property standards | Housing Health and Safety Rating System | New Decent Homes Standard applies |
| Discrimination | No specific renting protections | Illegal to refuse Housing Benefit tenants |
| Landlord register | Voluntary or council-level | National Private Rented Sector Database |
Section 21 Abolished: What Replaces No-Fault Evictions
Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 allowed landlords to end an assured shorthold tenancy without giving any reason, as long as they gave two months' notice after the initial fixed term. This mechanism is now gone.
From 1 May 2025, landlords can only recover possession using grounds under Section 8 of the Housing Act — and those grounds have been significantly expanded under the RRA.
Section 8 Eviction Grounds Under the RRA
The Act added several new mandatory and discretionary grounds to Section 8:
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Ground 1A (Sale of property): New mandatory ground allowing possession if the landlord intends to sell the property. Requires 4 months' notice and cannot be used within 12 months of tenancy start. A 3-month resale restriction applies after possession.
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Ground 1B (Owner / family occupation): Expanded to cover more family members. Requires 4 months' notice. 12-month tenancy restriction and 3-month re-let restriction apply.
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Ground 6A (Repeated antisocial behaviour): New mandatory ground for tenants with a history of antisocial behaviour even where a possession order hasn't previously been granted.
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Ground 8 (Rent arrears): Still requires 2 months' arrears at both service of notice and court hearing. Remains mandatory.
Notice period changes: Section 8 notice periods have been extended across most grounds. Ground 8 rent arrears notices now require 4 weeks' notice (up from 2). Grounds 1 and 1A (sale/occupation) require 4 months' notice. Always serve notices in writing with the correct prescribed information — defective notices are invalid.
What this means in practice
Recovering possession now requires a legitimate reason that satisfies a court. Document everything from day one: tenancy agreements, rent payment records, communications, inspection notes, maintenance requests. If you ever need to use Section 8, evidence is what wins possession claims.
End of fixed-term tenancies
The RRA abolishes new fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies. All tenancies created from 1 May 2025 are assured periodic tenancies — rolling month-by-month (or week-by-week) with no end date.
What happens to existing fixed-term tenancies?
Tenancies that were fixed-term before 1 May 2025 and are still running were automatically converted to periodic tenancies on that date. The contractual terms (rent, etc.) carry over, but the fixed end date became irrelevant.
Tenant notice requirements
Tenants must give a minimum of 2 months' written notice to end a periodic tenancy. This applies regardless of how long the tenancy has been running.
No minimum tenancy period. There is no minimum period a tenant must stay. A tenant can theoretically give notice from day one (subject to their 2-month notice period). This is a significant change for landlords who previously relied on fixed terms for void period certainty.
Student lets: the exemption
Purpose-built student accommodation and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) used predominantly as student lets have a limited exemption under Ground 4A, which allows landlords to recover possession at the end of an academic year. This applies only where the property is genuinely let to students.
Rent increase rules
The RRA restricts rent increases to once per year and requires a formal process via Section 13 notice for all increases in periodic tenancies.
The Section 13 process
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Landlord must serve written Section 13 notice proposing the new rent
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Notice must be given at least 2 months before the proposed increase date
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The proposed rent must reflect market rent — not more
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Tenant can challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)
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If challenged, the tribunal assesses the open market rent and sets the increase accordingly
Backdating abolished. Previously, if a tribunal hearing was delayed, the new rent could be backdated to the proposed start date, leaving tenants with large arrears. Under the RRA, the tribunal can no longer impose backdated rent. The new rent only applies from the tribunal's decision date (or a date specified by the tribunal going forward).
Rent review clauses: now void
Contractual rent review clauses in tenancy agreements are no longer enforceable for periodic tenancies. The only lawful mechanism to increase rent is the Section 13 notice process. Any clause purporting to automatically increase rent (e.g., CPI-linked annual reviews) has no legal effect.
Practical implication
If you want to raise rent, you need to serve a valid Section 13 notice in the correct form, give 2 months' notice, and stay at or below market rate. Informal agreements to increase rent (e.g., via email or verbal agreement) are not binding on the tenant and won't protect you if challenged at tribunal.
Property standards and Decent Homes
The RRA introduces a new Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector, mirroring the standard that has applied to social housing since 2006. This is now a legal requirement, not guidance.
What the Decent Homes Standard requires
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Structurally sound and in a good state of repair: No serious disrepair to the structure, roof, guttering, or external walls.
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Reasonably modern facilities: Kitchen under 20 years old, bathroom under 30 years old, adequate insulation.
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Efficient heating and insulation: A working central heating or equivalent heating system. Properties must meet minimum EPC requirements.
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No serious health and safety hazards: Compliance with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) — damp, mould, trip hazards, fire risks.
Awaab's Law extends to the PRS
Awaab's Law — which mandated strict timeframes for social landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould — now applies to private landlords too. The obligations are:
| Issue Type | Required Response Time |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard (no heat, no water, structural risk) | Attend within 24 hours; repair within a further 24 hours |
| Urgent hazard (damp, mould, significant disrepair) | Investigate within 14 days; repair within 7 weeks |
| Other repairs | Reasonable timeframe based on nature of disrepair |
Document everything. If a tenant reports damp or mould, you must be able to demonstrate you investigated and resolved it within the required timeframe. Failure is now a criminal offence, not just a civil breach. Maintain timestamped records of all repair requests and your responses.
EPC minimum standards
From December 2025, all new tenancies must have a minimum EPC rating of C. Existing tenancies must meet this standard by December 2028. Properties with valid EPC exemptions (listed buildings, certain older structures) are excluded, but the exemption criteria are strict.
Expanded tenant rights
Right to keep pets
Landlords cannot unreasonably withhold consent for a tenant to keep a pet. Tenants must request permission in writing, and landlords must respond within 28 days. Refusal must cite specific reasonable grounds (e.g., lease restriction from freeholder, demonstrable property damage risk). A blanket "no pets" policy is no longer sufficient.
Landlords can require tenants to take out pet insurance covering damage, or apply for an increased deposit (subject to deposit cap rules).
Protection from discriminatory lettings
The RRA makes it unlawful to refuse to let a property to someone because they:
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Receive Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or other welfare benefits
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Have children (subject to existing HMO licensing)
Advertising properties with "No DSS", "No Housing Benefit", or "No children" is now unlawful and can be reported to the local authority or the new ombudsman.
Right to request information
Tenants have an expanded right to request information about their property, including EPC rating, landlord registration details, and history of enforcement action. Landlords must respond within 28 days or face a civil penalty.
Ombudsman scheme — mandatory
All private landlords in England must join the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman — a free-to-join, statutory scheme. Tenants can bring complaints about landlord conduct directly. The ombudsman can require landlords to apologise, pay compensation (up to £25,000), and undertake remedial work.
Failure to join the ombudsman scheme or comply with a determination is an offence subject to civil penalties.
RRA Fines and Penalties: £7,000 to £40,000
The RRA significantly increases penalties for non-compliance. Enforcement sits primarily with local housing authorities, but the new PRS Database and Ombudsman create additional mechanisms.
First offence: Up to £7,000 per breach.
Repeat offence (within 5 years): Up to £40,000 per breach.
Criminal offence route: Unlimited fine or up to 2 years' imprisonment for the most serious breaches (e.g., illegal eviction, harassment).
Local authorities can retain penalty revenue to fund enforcement activity — creating an economic incentive for active enforcement.
Key penalty triggers
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Attempting to serve a Section 21 notice (abolished — any attempt is an offence)
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Charging unlawful fees (beyond the Tenant Fees Act cap)
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Failing to register on the national PRS Database
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Failing to join the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman
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Discriminating in lettings on the basis of benefit receipt
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Failing to respond to damp/mould within Awaab's Law timeframes
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Retaliatory eviction (using any ground retaliatorily after a complaint)
Retaliatory eviction protections
If a tenant has complained about the state of the property (formally or informally) in the 6 months prior to a possession claim, courts have the power to adjourn or dismiss the claim if it appears retaliatory. Landlords must show genuine grounds independent of the complaint.
Landlord Compliance Checklist 2026
Use this checklist to audit your current compliance position. Every item is a legal obligation from 1 May 2025.
Tenancy administration
- Updated tenancy agreements to reflect periodic tenancy structure (no fixed end dates)
- Removed all Section 21 notice templates from documentation
- Updated prescribed information packs to reflect current RRA requirements
- Registered on the national Private Rented Sector Database
- Joined the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman scheme
Deposit Protection Rules and Penalties
- No rent review clauses in new or renewed agreements
- Section 13 notice templates prepared for future rent reviews
- Deposit protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt
- Deposit cap observed (5 weeks' rent maximum for annual rent under £50,000)
- Prescribed information served on tenant within 30 days (failure = penalty up to 3× deposit + inability to serve valid Section 8)
Gas Safety Certificate Requirements
- Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) current — renewed annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Copy of current Gas Safety Certificate provided to all tenants within 28 days of issue
- Electrical safety report (EICR) current — 5-year renewal
- Smoke and CO alarms installed and tested on first day of tenancy
Property Standards
- EPC rating assessed — minimum C required for new tenancies from December 2025
- Property inspected against Decent Homes Standard
- Damp and mould inspection completed and documented
- Repair request logging system in place with timestamps
Tenant communication
- Process in place to respond to pet requests within 28 days
- Process in place to respond to tenant information requests within 28 days
- "No DSS / No Housing Benefit / No children" removed from all marketing
- All communications logged with dates (email, letter, or portal)
Know exactly where you stand — before enforcement starts
Get a personalised RRA Compliance Audit: full check across all 5 areas, your penalty exposure in pounds, and a prioritised remediation plan. £49 one-time per property.
First, check your current score with our free 8-question assessment — takes 3 minutes.