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The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed how every private tenancy in England works from 1 May 2026. Fixed terms and section 21 "no fault" notices have gone: tenancies now roll month to month until the tenant gives two months' notice or the landlord proves a ground for possession. Rent can rise once a year by formal notice, bidding wars are banned and upfront rent is capped at one month.
This guide sets out the rules at the time of writing, from the government's published guidance. It is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice: for a decision on a particular tenancy, speak to a solicitor who handles landlord and tenant work.
Every tenancy is now periodic
On 1 May 2026 assured shorthold tenancies were abolished and every private assured tenancy became an assured periodic tenancy, with a rent period of no more than a month. A tenancy signed in 2025 for 12 months did not run to its end date: it converted on the day.
What that means in practice:
- There is no end date to plan around. The tenancy continues until the tenant gives notice or a court makes a possession order.
- New tenancies need the key terms in writing before the tenancy is entered into.
- For tenancies already in writing on 1 May 2026, landlords had to give the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. If your tenant never received it, deal with that now.
Section 21 has gone: the grounds for possession
A landlord who wants the property back now serves a section 8 notice relying on one or more grounds, gives the notice period that ground requires, and applies to court if the tenant stays. The grounds most landlords will meet are these, according to the GOV.UK guidance at the time of writing:
| Ground | Reason | Notice | Point to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You or close family moving in | 4 months | Cannot expire in the first 12 months |
| 1A | Selling the property | 4 months | Cannot expire in the first 12 months; restrictions on re-letting afterwards |
| 6 | Substantial redevelopment | 4 months | Usually not in the first 6 months |
| 8 | Serious arrears (mandatory) | 4 weeks | At least 3 months' rent owed (13 weeks for weekly rent), at notice and at the hearing |
| 10 and 11 | Some arrears, persistent late payment (discretionary) | 4 weeks | The court decides whether possession is reasonable |
| 12 | Other breach of the tenancy | 2 weeks | Discretionary |
| 7A and 14 | Serious or other antisocial behaviour | Immediate | No order for 14 days from the notice |
Two practical points follow. First, evidence matters more than it did: a possession claim now turns on proving a ground, so rent records, inspection reports and correspondence need to be kept properly from the first day. Second, a landlord who may want to sell should plan around the 12-month protection and the four-month notice before marketing the property. Our sales valuation team can talk through selling with a tenant in place.
Rent: once a year, with two months' notice
Rent can now be increased only through the section 13 procedure, using the prescribed form, at most once a year, with at least two months' notice. Rent review clauses in agreements no longer do the job. A tenant who thinks the new figure is above the open market rent can apply to the First-tier Tribunal before it takes effect; the tribunal cannot set a figure above what the landlord proposed, and increases can no longer be backdated. The detail, and how arrears are handled, is in our guide to rent increases and arrears.
Letting rules: bidding, rent in advance, families and pets
- No bidding. A landlord or agent must publish an asking rent and cannot invite or accept offers above it.
- Rent in advance. Nothing can be asked for before the agreement is signed, and after signing the usual maximum is one month's rent (28 days' rent for a weekly tenancy). The deposit cap of five weeks' rent, where annual rent is under £50,000, is unchanged.
- No blanket bans. It is unlawful to refuse a tenant because they have children or receive benefits. Affordability can still be assessed, case by case. Our guide to tenant referencing covers how.
- Pets. A tenant can ask to keep a pet and the landlord must not refuse unreasonably.
- Tenant notice. Tenants can leave on two months' written notice, ending on a rent day or the day before.
What is still to come
The Act is being brought in in phases. At the time of writing:
- The landlord database. Landlords of assured tenancies will register themselves and each property. The rollout is regional; registration for the South West, which covers Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, is expected to open on 15 August 2027 with a deadline of 14 November 2027 and a fee of £65 per property per year.
- The ombudsman. A private rented sector ombudsman, with landlord membership required from 2028 according to the government's roadmap.
- Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law. Both are to be applied to private renting, with dates still subject to consultation.
Councils already have stronger powers. The GOV.UK guidance describes civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a first breach and up to £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches, and rent repayment orders of up to two years' rent.
What to do now
- Check your paperwork. Confirm the Information Sheet went to each existing tenant, and that any new tenancy since 1 May 2026 has written terms that match the new law, not an old fixed-term template.
- Review your compliance. Gas, electrics, alarms, EPC, deposit and Right to Rent records now carry more weight in any possession claim. Our landlord legal checklist lists each one.
- Diarise rent reviews. One section 13 notice a year, served properly, two months ahead.
- Plan exits early. Selling or moving back in means four months' notice and no exit in the first year of a tenancy.
- Prepare for registration. Keep certificates and tenancy details in one place, ready for the database.
In Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch the council's housing team enforces these rules alongside licensing. If you would rather a managing agent carried this work, our property management service handles notices, records and renewals, and our landlord hub sets out the options.
