Renters' Rights Act 2025:
Complete Landlord Guide

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in 2025. The main provisions — including the abolition of Section 21, the end of fixed-term tenancies and the new possession grounds — came into force on 1 May 2026 in England. The Act applies to England only. Wales has its own separate legislation under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 — which allowed landlords to recover possession without giving a reason (no-fault eviction) — was abolished from 1 May 2026. Landlords in England can no longer serve a Section 21 notice. All possession claims must now be based on one of the Section 8 grounds set out in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988. New mandatory grounds were added by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, including Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell) and Ground 6A (redevelopment).

Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies were abolished from 1 May 2026. All assured tenancies in England are now periodic — they continue from month to month (or week to week) until ended by the landlord (using Section 8 grounds) or the tenant (giving 2 months' notice). Landlords can no longer grant 6-month or 12-month fixed-term tenancies. Existing fixed-term tenancies that were in place before 1 May 2026 converted to periodic tenancies on that date.

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords can only increase rent once per year using the Section 13 procedure. The landlord must give at least 2 months' notice using the prescribed Section 13 form. Tenants can challenge a proposed rent increase by applying to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which will determine the market rent. Landlords cannot use tenancy agreement clauses to increase rent more frequently or with less notice than the Section 13 procedure requires.

The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman is a new mandatory dispute resolution service introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. All private landlords in England must join the scheme — including those who self-manage without a letting agent. The ombudsman handles complaints from tenants about landlords and can award compensation of up to £25,000. Landlords who fail to join or comply with ombudsman decisions face fines of up to £40,000.

No. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 applies to England only. Wales has its own separate legislation — the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which came into force in December 2022. Under the Welsh Act, all tenancies are "occupation contracts" (either fixed-term or periodic), Section 21 equivalent notices require 6 months' notice, and landlords must be registered with Rent Smart Wales. We advise landlords with properties in both England and Wales on the different legal frameworks.