Renters' Rights Act 2025 Explained

Since 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has abolished Section 21 "no-fault" eviction for private tenants in England, converted assured shorthold tenancies to periodic assured tenancies, and banned rental bidding, blanket pet bans and "no DSS" adverts. Further reforms are still to come.

Information last verified on 18 July 2026. This page is general legal information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which reforms the private rented sector in England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own tenancy law. The only part of this Act that reaches beyond England is its ban on discriminating against renters with children or who receive benefits, in force in Scotland since 1 May 2026 and in Wales since 1 June 2026.

What is the Renters' Rights Act 2025?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the law that rewrote private renting in England. It received Royal Assent in October 2025, and its main reforms for private tenants took effect on 1 May 2026. Before the Act, most private tenancies were assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs), fixed-term agreements a landlord could end without giving a reason once the fixed term ended, using a Section 21 notice. The Act replaces that system. Existing and new private tenancies became periodic assured tenancies, with no fixed end date, and a landlord can now only regain possession by relying on a specific ground under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988. The Act also reforms rent increases, bans several unfair letting practices, and adds a right to request a pet. Some further measures, covered below, are not yet in force.

Section 21 is abolished: what replaced it

Section 21 "no-fault" eviction, which let a landlord end an assured shorthold tenancy without giving a reason, has been abolished for the private rented sector since 1 May 2026. On the same date, private assured shorthold tenancies converted to periodic assured tenancies (a tenancy with a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice served before 1 May 2026 stayed an AST while that notice could still be used): there is no fixed term to renew or end, and the tenancy simply continues until the tenant gives notice or the landlord obtains possession through a Section 8 ground. A tenant can end the tenancy at any time by giving two months' written notice. A landlord can no longer decline to renew a tenancy or serve a blanket eviction notice; they must fit one of the reformed Section 8 grounds, described below, and follow the correct notice period for that ground. See the Section 21 notice guide for how the old system worked and what changed.

New Section 8 grounds and notice periods

With Section 21 gone, every private eviction in England now goes through Section 8. Two grounds come up most often:

• Ground 1 and Ground 1A (the landlord or a close family member moving in, or the landlord selling): at least four months' notice, and cannot be used at all during a tenancy's first 12 months, a new protected period.
• Ground 8 (serious rent arrears): now requires at least three months' arrears, up from two months' under the old rules, and the notice period has increased to four weeks.
• Anti-social behaviour grounds have also been strengthened.

A landlord who cannot fit a ground, or who serves the wrong notice, cannot lawfully evict a tenant through the county court. See the Section 8 notice guide for the full list of grounds and how each notice period is calculated.

The UK possession notice calculator works out the earliest date a section 8 notice can give in England, by ground, under this Act, and shows the notice periods in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Rent increases under the Act

Rent can now only rise once a year, and only through a formal Section 13 notice giving at least two months' written notice of the new amount. A landlord cannot increase rent informally, through a rent-review clause, or more than once in 12 months. If a tenant thinks the proposed rent is above the local market rate, they can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the increase takes effect. The Tribunal can confirm the landlord's figure or set a lower one, but it cannot set a rent higher than the landlord proposed, and any Tribunal-set rent cannot be backdated. The Act also bans rental bidding: a landlord or agent cannot invite or accept offers above the advertised rent. See the rent increases guide for the full process and how to refer a case to the Tribunal.

The UK rent increase calculator works out the earliest date a section 13 rent increase can start for a private tenancy in England, and shows the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Pets and other tenant protections

Several Phase 1 changes protect tenants beyond eviction and rent. A tenant can now request permission to keep a pet, and the landlord must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. The Act does not let a landlord make consent conditional on pet insurance; damage caused by a pet is covered by the tenancy deposit, and beyond that through the courts. Blanket "no pets" clauses in a tenancy agreement no longer apply. The Act also bans blanket "no DSS" advertising and letting practices that exclude tenants who receive benefits, and blanket bans on letting to tenants with children. These bans target advertising and blanket refusals; a landlord can still assess an individual application on its own merits. See the renting with pets guide for how to make a request and what counts as an unreasonable refusal.

What's still to come: Phase 2 (forthcoming)

Not every part of the Act is running yet. Two measures are still forthcoming and should not be treated as current law: a mandatory Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database, which will require landlords to register and pay an annual fee, expected from late 2026, and a mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman, giving tenants a free redress route without going to court, expected later, in 2028. Alongside these, the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law, which set fixed timescales for landlords to fix serious hazards, are being extended to the private rented sector, though the exact commencement date has not been confirmed. Until these measures commence, there is no PRS-wide landlord register or ombudsman scheme, and repairs complaints still go through the existing routes: the landlord, then the council's environmental health team, then court as a last resort. Check gov.uk's implementation roadmap for the latest commencement dates.

Phase 1 vs Phase 2 at a glance

Does the Act apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?

Mostly no. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 reforms the private rented sector in England only. Wales runs its own system under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, where no-fault eviction still exists as a Section 173 notice. Scotland's Private Residential Tenancy has never had a no-fault ground, and eviction goes through the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Northern Ireland uses the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and a Notice to Quit system. The tenancy systems of these three nations were not changed by this Act. The one exception is the ban on discriminating against renters with children or who receive benefits: separate chapters of the Act apply it in Scotland from 1 May 2026, where breaking it is a criminal offence, and in Wales from 1 June 2026. Northern Ireland is not affected. See the UK tenant rights hub for how eviction, deposits and rent increases compare across all four nations.

This page is general legal information about the Renters' Rights Act 2025 in England, verified on 18 July 2026. It is not legal advice, and how the Act applies depends on your own tenancy. For help, contact Shelter, Citizens Advice, or a solicitor. For the wider four-nation picture, see the UK tenant rights hub and the United Kingdom law hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Renters' Rights Act come into force?

The main private rented sector reforms, including the abolition of Section 21, took effect in England on 1 May 2026. The Private Rented Sector Database is expected from late 2026 and is not yet in force, and the Landlord Ombudsman is expected later still, in 2028. Social housing changes are separate and expected in 2027, with no exact date confirmed.

Can my landlord still evict me without a reason?

No. Since 1 May 2026, a landlord in England can only evict a private tenant using a Section 8 ground, such as wanting to sell the property or move in themselves, or serious rent arrears. See the Section 8 notice and Section 21 notice guides for the full detail.

How much notice does my landlord have to give me now?

It depends on the ground used. Ground 1 and 1A (moving in or selling) need four months' notice and cannot be used in a tenancy's first 12 months. Ground 8 (rent arrears) needs four weeks' notice once arrears reach three months. A tenant who wants to leave must give two months' notice.

Can my landlord refuse to let me have a pet?

Not unreasonably. You can request to keep a pet, and your landlord must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. The Act does not let a landlord make consent conditional on pet insurance; pet damage is covered by your tenancy deposit, and beyond that through the courts. Blanket no-pets clauses no longer apply. See the renting with pets guide.

How often can my rent go up?

No more than once a year, using a Section 13 notice with at least two months' notice. You can challenge a proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which cannot set a rent higher than the landlord asked for and cannot backdate an increase. See the rent increases guide.

What is the PRS Database and Landlord Ombudsman?

They are Phase 2 measures that are not yet running. The Database will be a mandatory register of private landlords, expected from late 2026. The Ombudsman will be a mandatory redress scheme, expected later, in 2028. Check gov.uk's implementation roadmap for the latest commencement dates.

Does the Renters' Rights Act apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?

Mostly no. Its tenancy reforms apply to the private rented sector in England only, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each keep their own tenancy law. The exception is its ban on discriminating against renters with children or who receive benefits, which also applies in Scotland from 1 May 2026 and in Wales from 1 June 2026. Northern Ireland is not affected.

Does the Act cover social housing too?

The Act includes social housing reforms, but they are on a separate, later timetable, expected to apply to social housing tenancies in 2027, with no exact date confirmed. This guide covers the private rented sector.