What is the Renters’ Rights Act?
The Renters’ Rights Act proposes major reforms to the private rented sector in England and Wales - affecting landlords, tenants and letting agents.
Following the King’s Speech in July 2024, the Labour Government progressed what was known as the Renters’ Rights Bill (formerly known as the Renters’ (Reform) Bill which was introduced in May 2023 under the Conservative Government). It is now known as the Renters' Rights Act as it's now law so it's essential for anyone involved in residential property letting or management to understand the upcoming changes.
What will change?
The most important changes include:
- Restrictions on rent bidding and marketing
- Greater rights for tenants to keep pets
- New tenancy structure and rules on rent increases
- Clearer grounds for termination and limits on grounds for possession
- Expanded local authority powers for enforcement
Marketing
- Rent bidding: Prospective tenants can be asked to bid up to the advertised price but landlords and agents cannot encourage or accept offers of rent above the advertised price. If the rent is over the market rate, even if a tenant bids that price, they can ask for the rent to be reduced in the first six months of the tenancy.
- PRS database and landlord redress scheme: Landlords must join the Private Rented Sector Database and the Landlord Redress Scheme before the property can be marketed. Database identification numbers for landlords and property must be included in adverts. The portal will include compliance certificates and inform landlords of their legal responsibilities. Hamptons will support landlords in staying compliant.
- Pets: Properties may be advertised as being unavailable for pets, however subject to the Equality Act, service animals must be permitted. Landlords must consider a tenant’s request to rent with a pet and can’t unreasonably refuse without a good reason once the tenancy has begun. Requests to keep pets must be responded to within 28 days. Landlords can arrange for insurance to cover pet damage. If the lease or freeholder doesn’t allow pets, this can be a valid reason for refusal.
- Non-discrimination: A landlord may not discriminate against prospective tenants on the basis that they are or might be in receipt of state benefits or they might or will have children living at the property or visiting regularly. Landlords may only distriminate if accepting children would lead to the property being overcrowded. Income is also a valid consideration when considering tenants on benefits and nothing prevents them being refused on the bsis that they cannot afford the rent.
Tenancy setup
- Tenancy terms: Landlord must give the tenant a written statement of the terms of the tenancy in the form specificed by the government. On implementation of the Act, existing tenants will have to be given a government provided note of what is changing within one month, but will not need their tenancy agreements replaced. Rent cannot be taken in advance of the tenancy agreement being signed and executed, but the deposit can be.
- Tenancies: The Act will abolish all Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) on the 'commencement date', possibly as soon as three months after Royal Assent, which was on the 27th October 2025. This is where all tenancies become assured periodic tenancies from the outset. Tenancies will continue indefinitely until termination by tenant notice or landlord notice for specific reasons. Private, purpose-built student accommodation will also be removed from the AST system. Any exemptions for student tenancies only includes landlords renting HMOs to students.
- Rent: Landlords will be limited to increasing rents once a year for existing tenancies, by service of a statutory Section 13 notice with two months' notice and only to the market rate. In-tenancy rent increase clauses and agreements to increase the rent will be banned. Tenants can challenge the rent via the First-Tier Tribunal (FTT) where the FTT will use the rents for comparable properties to determine the proper market rent. Landlords will also no longer be able to require multiple months’ rent in advance to secure a property as rent periods may only be monthly or less. Nothing longer can be asked for and for the first month only one month can be accepted.
Property management
- Decent Homes Standard: Landlords must ensure that all rental properties are free from serious hazards to meet the new minimum safety standard as part of the Decent Homes Standard being added to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This allows local authorities to immediately issue fines for more serious failings of standards.
- Awaab's Law: This law, already applied to social housing, will extend to the private sector. Landlords will need to follow strict timescales for inspecting and repairing serious hazards such as damp and mould. Tenants can seek damages alongside those for disrepair if landlords fail to comply.
Tenancy termination
- Notices: Landlords will no longer be able to serve a Section 21 notice to gain possession of their property from tenants. Instead landlords will only terminate the tenancy by serving a Section 8 notice, specifying one or more appropriate grounds for possession and provide four months' notice. Different grounds have different notice periods. The notice must be provided on the government website and can be changed at any time by amending it on the website. This will apply to both new and existing tenancies on the same day, called the ‘commencement date’, providing immediate protection to private tenants.
The grounds for possession include: the landlord wishing to sell the property, the landlord wishes to occupy the property themselves or the landlord wishes for their family to occupy the property.
A tenant may terminate the tenancy at any point by service a two-month notice in writing on the landlord. The notice must expire the day before the rent is due. If there are joint tenants then notice by one will be effective for all tenants.
Section 8 notices: Grounds will be introduced and amended. These notices must include a reason, such as when landlords are selling or moving in family. These include:
- New ground 1A: For landlords selling their property. Requires four months’ notice and cannot expire within the first 12 months. Landlords cannot remarket for let (short or long term) for 12 months.
- Amended ground 1: For landlords or family moving in. Notice periods mirror ground 1A. Landlords cannot re-let the property for 12 months.
- Amended ground 8: For serious rent arrears. Tenants must have at least three months of arrears (previously two), and the notice period increases from two weeks to four weeks.
- New ground 4A: Possession of student accommodation. Applies only to HMO-licensed properties and can only expire between 1st June and 30th September.
Although part of the Act, the following is under consultation and will follow after the initial implementation. Timescales are yet to be confirmed by the government:
- Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs): While the Act acknowledges the goal of upgrading properties to a minimum EPC band C, these changes are not yet law. Landlords should still prepare for future updates.
Latest news - What happens next?
The Renters' Rights Bill has now reached the Consideration of Lords amendments stage in the House of Lords with a date to be announced, likely around 8th September 2025.
This is part of the Bill's final stages where any amendments will be discussed between both the House of Commons and the House of Lords until an agreement is reached. The Government can reject any changes proposed by the House of Lords. Then the Bill reaches its final stage - Royal Assent.
When will the Renters' Rights Act be implemented?
On the 27th October 2025, the Renters' Rights Act became law. However it's likely that the Act won't come into effect until early 2026, subject to the government announcing how and when each part will take effect, and even once announced, implementation dates can be changed at short notice. However, some educated estimations for timelines are below:
27th December 2025: Two months after Royal Assent, the non-discriminiation provisions could become implemented
April 2026: Implementation of; ending Section 21 notices, fixed terms, ASTs, new grounds of possession, new rent increas rules, new wording for tenancy agreements, bans on rent in advance, permission for pets
One month after Section 21 notice changes: Notice service
October 2026: Implementation of; PRS database, landlord redress scheme, Decent Homes Standard
From October 2026: Start of Awaab's Law
How can I stay informed about the Act?
We’ll keep this page updated as the Renters' Rights Act's implementation timeline is announced by the government to help you stay compliant. If you have any questions or concerns about how these changes affect you and your properties, feel free to contact our Hamptons lettings experts below.
How can Hamptons support you with the Act?
We’ll guide you through the changes and handle the hard work for you.
At Hamptons, we will ensure our landlords are ready for the switch to periodic tenancies.
We’re also offering advice to help landlords avoid rent arrears and long eviction processes.
Also many of our new tenancies are non-ASTs, thanks to strong relationships with relocation agents who provide corporate tenants, so most of the above won’t apply.
If you choose to have your property managed by Hamptons, you will have an expert responding to any property-related issues and access to our panel of approved, reliable contractors. This is why, as a client of Hamptons, you can rest assured that your investment is in very capable hands.
If you're a tenant, you can be in the knowledge that your tenancy will remain compliant and are renting a home that meets all of the industry standards.
