The Act will be introduced over time with the Labour government prioritising the long-anticipated end of no-fault evictions, often held up as one of the main contributors to homelessness in the capital.
It also rules that tenants will no longer be asked for more than a month’s rent upfront to secure a property and they will be able to more easily challenge unfair rent hikes in the courts without fear of retaliation from an angry landlord.
This is the first major shake-up in the private rental sector since 1988. After decades of inaction, Theresa May’s Conservative government first pledged the end of no-fault evictions in 2019 and the Bill was introduced in May 2023.
Since then, furious consultation and various rewrites have been underway to finally form this complex and detailed act which received Royal Assent at the end of last month.
One in five renters in Britain live in London, the most unaffordable part of the country. In fact, recent research from Generation Rent found that tenants handed over £100,000 to landlords every four years in the capital.
The RRA is designed to help control escalating rents but it will only empower tenants if they are aware of, and fully understand, their new rights.
It is made even more complicated by a staggered start with part of the act coming into force on May 1 with more to follow at the end of the year, and beyond.
Homes & Property spells out the intricacies of the new Renters’ Rights Act and answers tenant questions below.
Will I be able to stay in my home forever from 1 May 2026?
Landlords will now require a valid reason to evict you from your home once so-called no-fault evictions, or Section 21 notices, are abolished.
It could be that they want to move in themselves or sell the property, or that you have fallen behind with the rent or they have received complaints from neighbours about anti-social behaviour.
However, they have to give four months’ notice, and only after the tenant has lived there for a year.
If they do want to relet the dwelling or list it for sale, they cannot do so for 12 months. If a tenant sees the property advertised before this time they can claim back rent.
On the flipside, a tenant needs to give a landlord just two months’ notice before moving out.
Is there a pre-set deadline to the end of my tenancy?
No, fixed-term tenancies will be abolished. All tenancy contracts will be what is called “rolling”, meaning a tenancy automatically renews every month until either the tenant provides (at least two months’) notice to quit or a landlord conducts a valid and legal eviction (with four months’ notice).
When and how often can my landlord raise rent? And can I stop this?
A landlord can only raise rent once a year. They have to give two months’ notice (rather than the previous one months’ notice).
If the tenant deems the rent rise to be unfair they can take the landlord to a tribunal.
The hope from government is that with the removal of no-fault evictions, tenants will feel more secure in pursuing perceived injustices through the courts.
The tenant is within their rights to stay in the property until an issue is resolved by tribunal.
Of course, a potential backlog of cases in the courts will push the impending rent rise further down the road and buy the tenant more time to raise the extra rent or find somewhere else to live, or the tribunal may rule that the rent rise is above fair market movement.
In a competitive situation how do I make myself standout as a good tenant?
From 1 May 2026 tenants will not be allowed to offer over asking price to secure a property.
While this protects tenants from being caught in a pressurised financial situation and levels the playing field when attempting to find a rental home, some tenants may wonder how they can appeal to the landlord.
In addition, tenants are not allowed to offer a longer-term fixed tenancy as an incentive either.
Adam Jennings, head of lettings at Chestertons says: “In the busy post-Covid rental market, particularly in southwest London renters were providing a tenancy CV, with bios about themselves on top of the usual information. I see this as becoming the norm especially in hotspots.”
Credit history will continue to be a factor as checked by management agents.
Who can help me if I think the rent is being raised unfairly or I am being evicted for unjust reasons?
Although some landlords like to deal with tenants themselves, a management agent is a useful conduit here and should (if they are doing their job properly) be able to explain your position and rights.
Your local council has been given additional powers to crackdown on landlord behaviour and can advise on how to trigger a tribunal process.
Do landlords have a duty now to accept tenants with pets?
No, but they have to fairly consider your application. If you think their decision is unfair this is a matter for tribunal.
If you are already living in a property and want to buy a pet you will need written permission from the landlord.
Again, if a decision is unfair this can be contested in the courts without fear of a no-fault eviction.
Can I move my partner or a friend into the property?
This law has not changed. Permission for the addition of a partner or friend or another tenant must be granted by the landlord and triggers a new tenancy agreement.
If the landlord is unhappy with the request (due to a poor credit history of the new tenant, for example) they can serve four months’ notice.
This can be contested by the tenant at a tribunal. It remains illegal to sublet the property you are living in as a tenant.
Does the bill come into immediate effect?
The raft of individual laws come into effect in multiple phases.
- No fault-evictions will be outlawed.
- No more fixed term contracts.
- Fairer rent rises.
- No more bidding wars.
- No more than one month’s rent upfront to be paid by tenants.
- No discrimination against those tenants with children or on benefits.
- Requests to move in with pets must be fairly considered.
Law as of end of 2026 (date pending):
- The creation of a database for landlords to ensure full transparency on who you are renting off.
- The creation of a Property Landlord Ombudsmen as a complaints service.
- The creation of Decent Living Standards covering rental homes.
- New standards on greener rental homes by 2030.
Am I likely to get evicted between now and May as my landlord prepares for the new Act?
This is a real concern for tenants as landlords re-evaluate whether they can set their rent higher before May or whether they want to exit the market altogether.
Many landlords, however, want to do the right thing by their tenant. Have a conversation now with the management agent or landlord directly to assess the risk.
What will be the impact of this on rents in London?
An unintended consequence of the Renters’ Rights Act, according to many experts including Adam Jennings, is a rise in rents.
Due to the new law that tenants cannot offer over asking price for a property, landlords may decide to price their rent at a higher level to start with pushing up average rents across London.
In addition, landlords deterred by the pending legislation (as well as a more hostile fiscal environment for buy-to-let homeowners) may well exit the rental market between now and May meaning there is less supply for tenants, again, pushing up rents.
Will I be able to buy a cheap home off a landlord desperate to sell before May?
As a result of a natural move away from the rental sector by landlords, former rental homes may flood the sales market.
Although this should not lead to huge price drops, and deposit requirements in London therefore remain comparatively high, the additional stock may mean softening prices for first-time buyers, second steppers and downsizers to take advantage of.
Are there any unintended consequences here for the landlord, tenant and housing market in general?
In a long-standing housing affordability crisis in which temporary accommodation is at an all-time low and homelessness is rife, the new act may create more ‘lights off’ across London as rental properties sit empty.
This scenario arises if a landlord serves notice to the tenant because they would like to sell their property.
If they trigger this process but change their mind after the tenant has moved out, or as the tenant is moving out, they cannot relet that property for 12 months.
This is to prevent landlords swapping tenants to raise the rent. However, it does mean that landlord cannot get any revenue from their buy-to-let unit for a year and no one else can use it either.