The Renters' Rights Act reshapes the relationship between landlords and tenants in England. Most of the headline measures took effect on 1 May 2026, so this is no longer something to plan for - it is the rules you are letting under today. This guide is the hub: it covers what changed, the order to work through it, and links to the deeper guides on each obligation. Last reviewed: 22 October 2026. Tenancy information duties corrected 23 September 2026 against gov.uk.
Everything below is equally true whether you self-manage or instruct a letting agent. The Act sets the legal baseline; how you meet it is up to you. Always check the current gov.uk guidance on the Renters' Rights Act before acting on anything time-sensitive, because statutory detail can be updated.
This guide covers England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 reforms apply to assured tenancies in England. Wales lets under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, Scotland under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, and Northern Ireland under the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Section 21, periodic tenancies and the possession grounds all work differently there - check your nation's rules. Two of these reforms reach beyond England: the ban on discriminating against prospective tenants who have children or receive benefits is set out for England, Wales and Scotland in separate chapters of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Part 1, Chapters 3 to 5), and the rental-bidding ban applies to lettings that would be assured tenancies under the Housing Act 1988 (section 56), which in practice means England - most private lets in Wales are occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Commencement outside England is still being taken forward, so check the current position for your nation.
What changed on 1 May 2026
Five shifts matter most to a private landlord. Each is summarised here and explained more fully in the linked guides.
Section 21 is abolished
You can no longer end a tenancy with a no-fault Section 21 notice. The only route to possession now runs through Section 8, on a defined legal ground (more on this below). This is the single biggest change in the Act and it applies to existing tenancies as well as new ones.
Tenancies are now periodic
Every private-sector assured shorthold tenancy (AST) converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy (social housing let by private registered providers moves over later, from October 2027). There are no more fixed terms in the old sense. Each period of the tenancy matches the rent period, which must be monthly or 28 days or shorter (for example weekly), and a tenant can leave by giving two months' notice. You do not need to issue new paperwork for the conversion itself - it happened by operation of law.
Section 8 is the only possession route
Because Section 21 is gone, regaining possession means relying on one of the statutory grounds under Section 8, served on the prescribed notice form. The grounds split into mandatory (the court must grant possession if the ground is proven) and discretionary (the court decides whether it is reasonable). Two changes worth flagging: the rent-arrears ground threshold and notice period have been reset, and there is a new ground for landlords who genuinely need to sell, which cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy and carries a re-letting restriction. The detail is set out in the gov.uk possession guidance - read it and confirm the current grounds and notice periods before serving any notice.
How to Rent is withdrawn: written terms for new tenancies, the Information Sheet for existing ones
The How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026. What you must give now depends on when the tenancy began. For a new tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, you must give the tenant certain written information about the key terms of the tenancy before you sign or otherwise agree it - in the tenancy agreement or separately - or you could be fined up to £7,000 (gov.uk written information for your tenant). For existing tenancies with a written agreement, most landlords had to give the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026, as the exact PDF from gov.uk - sending a link is not enough (gov.uk Information Sheet page). Full detail, including the one case where the Sheet is still needed after 31 May, is in our guide to the Information Sheet and new-tenancy written terms.
New rules on rent, bidding, pets and discrimination
Several day-to-day practices changed at once:
- Rental bidding wars are banned. You advertise at a stated rent and cannot invite or accept offers above it.
- Rent in advance is capped. You can ask for no more than one month's rent up front before the tenancy begins.
- Pet requests cannot be unreasonably refused. A tenant can ask to keep a pet and you must consider it on its merits.
- Discrimination is banned against prospective tenants because they have children or receive benefits.
Check the precise wording and any exceptions in the current gov.uk Renters' Rights Act collection.
What you must do now, in order
If you let property in England, work through this list. The early items are time-bound; the rest are the standing obligations that the Act sits on top of.
1. Give written terms before every new let, and check the Information Sheet was served
Before you sign or otherwise agree any new tenancy, give the tenant the written information about its key terms listed in the gov.uk landlord guidance - it can sit in your tenancy agreement. For tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026, the Information Sheet 2026 should already have been given by 31 May 2026; if it was not, or a Section 21 or Section 8 notice you gave before 1 May 2026 has since lapsed and the tenancy has become periodic, check the gov.uk Information Sheet page now. Keep a dated record of what you gave, when and how. See the Information Sheet and written terms guide for the detail.
2. Update your eviction process to Section 8
Retire any Section 21 templates. If you ever need possession, you now use a Section 8 notice on a valid ground. Familiarise yourself with the grounds, the notice periods, and the evidence each requires before a situation arises - see gov.uk on possession notices.
3. Confirm your deposit is protected and the prescribed information is served
A tenancy deposit must be protected in one of the three government-backed schemes (DPS, mydeposits or TDS) within 30 days of receipt, and the prescribed information must be given to the tenant. Deposits are capped (broadly five weeks' rent, with a higher cap for higher-rent properties - check the current figure). Getting this wrong has always carried penalties; under the new regime it also blocks possession. The full process is in our deposit protection guide, backed by gov.uk tenancy deposit protection.
4. Check your safety certificates are current
- Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) - an annual check of the gas appliances and flues you provide, by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy of the record given to existing tenants within 28 days of the check and to new tenants before they move in. See HSE gas safety for landlords.
- EICR (electrical safety report) - the electrical installation must be inspected at least every five years under the electrical safety standards.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, kept in working order (gov.uk alarms guidance).
5. Confirm your EPC and plan for the C target
A property must currently meet at least an EPC E to be let, unless a valid exemption is registered. The government plans to raise the minimum to EPC C, measured on the new EPC metrics, by 1 October 2030, with a cost cap per property - the regulations have not been made yet - so factor improvements into your planning now rather than later. Read our EPC and MEES guide and the gov.uk MEES guidance for the current thresholds, dates and cost cap, and the 21 January 2026 government response that set out the plan.
6. Keep your Right to Rent checks up to date
Before a tenancy starts you must check that every adult occupier has the right to rent in England, and repeat the check where someone's right is time-limited. See our Right to Rent guide and gov.uk Right to Rent.
7. Check licensing for your area
A house in multiple occupation (broadly five or more occupiers forming two or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence. Many councils also run selective or additional licensing covering ordinary single lets. Licensing is set locally, so your council's housing team is the authoritative source for your address - see our landlord licensing guide for how the schemes work.
8. Register with the ICO and review your privacy notice
If you store tenant data digitally - which almost every landlord does - you generally need to pay the annual data protection fee to the Information Commissioner's Office and give tenants a privacy notice explaining how you handle their information.
A quick reference table
| Obligation | What it means now | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | Section 21 abolished. Section 8 on a valid ground is the only route. | gov.uk evicting tenants |
| Tenancy type | Private-sector ASTs are now assured periodic tenancies; tenant gives two months' notice to leave. | gov.uk RRA collection |
| Written tenancy information | How to Rent withdrawn. New tenancies: written key terms before the tenancy is agreed. Existing tenancies: Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026. Fine up to £7,000 for each. | gov.uk RRA collection |
| Deposit | Protected within 30 days, prescribed information served, deposit capped. | gov.uk deposit protection |
| Rent and bidding | Bidding wars banned; rent in advance capped at one month. | gov.uk RRA collection |
| EPC | Minimum E now; the government plans C by 1 October 2030 with a cost cap (regulations not yet made). | gov.uk government response (21 Jan 2026) |
Where the deeper guides go
This page is the overview. Each obligation has its own guide with the procedural detail and the exact figures:
- Section 8 possession routes (gov.uk) - the possession route now that Section 21 is gone
- The Information Sheet 2026 and new-tenancy written terms - which document applies to which tenancy, when, and the fine for missing it
- Deposit protection - schemes, the 30-day rule, and prescribed information
- EPC and MEES - the current standard and the planned move to C by 2030
- Right to Rent checks - how to check and when to re-check
- Landlord licensing - HMO, selective and additional schemes
Listing your property under the new rules
Once your compliance is in order, you can advertise. On Domovita you can list your rental yourself, or bring in a local agent if you would rather someone else handled it - the choice is yours, and the listing process is the same either way. When you list your rental, you will be prompted for the details the law expects to see in an advert, including the EPC rating, the rent (with no hidden fees), the deposit and your pet policy. If you would like a structured check before you go live, the guides above walk through each requirement in turn.
If anything here is unclear, or your council's local rules differ, the relevant government page and your local authority's housing team are the authoritative sources. Where a figure, date or threshold matters to a decision, confirm it against the current gov.uk guidance before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Renters' Rights Act actually in force yet?
Yes. The main provisions took effect on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is abolished, assured shorthold tenancies have converted to periodic tenancies, and the How to Rent guide has been withdrawn. This is the law you are letting under now, not a future plan. Check the current gov.uk Renters' Rights Act collection for any later updates to the detail.
Can I still use a Section 21 no-fault eviction?
No. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, so the no-fault route is gone for tenancies under the new rules. To regain possession you now rely on a Section 8 notice served on a valid statutory ground, and the court decides on that basis. Read the gov.uk possession guidance and confirm the current grounds and notice periods before serving any notice.
Do I have to serve the Information Sheet 2026 on a new tenant?
No. For a new tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026 you must instead give the tenant written information about the key terms of the tenancy before you sign or otherwise agree it, or face a fine of up to £7,000. The Information Sheet 2026 was for tenancies that already existed, and most landlords had to give it by 31 May 2026 as the exact gov.uk PDF - a link does not count. It is still needed where a Section 21 or Section 8 notice given before 1 May 2026 lapses and the tenancy becomes periodic, within one month. Our Information Sheet 2026 guide covers both duties in full.
Do periodic tenancies mean I have less control over my property?
The fixed term in its old form is gone, and tenants can leave on two months' notice. You keep control through your standing obligations and the Section 8 grounds, which include a route for landlords who genuinely need to sell. That ground cannot be used in the first 12 months and carries a re-letting restriction, so plan around it. See the gov.uk possession guidance for the current detail.
Can I still ask tenants to pay several months' rent up front?
No. Rent in advance is now capped, and you can ask for no more than one month's rent before the tenancy begins. Rental bidding wars are also banned, so you advertise at a set rent and cannot invite or accept higher offers. Check the precise wording and any exceptions in the current gov.uk Renters' Rights Act collection before setting your terms.
I let one property. Do these rules really apply to me?
Yes. The Renters' Rights Act applies to private landlords regardless of portfolio size, so a single let is covered in the same way as a large portfolio. The safety, deposit, licensing and data protection duties that sit alongside the Act apply too. If anything is unclear for your situation, your local council's housing team and the relevant gov.uk pages are the authoritative sources.
General information, not legal advice. This guide explains the rules in plain English and is kept under review, but the law changes and every situation is different. Always check the current position on the official gov.uk pages linked above, and take professional advice - a solicitor, or your local council for licensing questions - before relying on it for a specific decision.