The Renters' Rights Act letting ban explained

If you take your home back from a tenant because you want to sell it or move in, the Renters' Rights Act stops you letting it out again for a set period. The ban covers holiday lets and short stays too, not just tenancies. Get this wrong and your council can fine you. Here's how the letting ban works, as of September 2026.

What is the Renters' Rights Act letting ban?

Since 1 May 2026, landlords in England need a legal reason, called a ground, to end a tenancy. Two of those grounds are for landlords who want the home back for themselves: Ground 1, when you or a close family member want to move in, and Ground 1A, when you want to sell.

The government's guide to the Act explains the catch: to stop landlords abusing these grounds, landlords will not be able to market or re-let their property for 12 months after using them. In plain terms, you can't say you're selling to get a tenant out, then put the home straight back on the rental market at a higher rent.

Does the ban cover holiday lets and short lets?

Yes. This is the part most landlords miss. The Act itself says that, during the restricted period, the landlord must not let the dwelling-house on a tenancy for a term of 21 years or less, or permit a person to occupy the dwelling-house under a licence. Shelter's legal guidance for professionals spells it out: the restriction on re-letting includes giving another tenancy or a licence to occupy, such as a holiday let.

So if you use Ground 1 or Ground 1A, you cannot switch the home to Airbnb, a holiday let or a short let during the restricted period. That includes marketing it for those stays.

How long does the letting ban last?

The restricted period is linked to your notice, not to the day the tenant actually leaves. Shelter's guidance says the period ends 12 months from the date specified in the notice as the earliest date possession proceedings can start.

Both grounds need at least four months' notice. So in practice, from the day you serve the notice, you could be unable to let the home for around 16 months: four months of notice, then 12 months of restriction.

Can you use these grounds in the first year of a tenancy?

There's a second time limit. Shelter explains that a landlord cannot start possession proceedings on ground 1 or 1A during the first 12 months of the tenancy. A notice on these grounds must expire more than 12 months after the tenancy started.

How does the letting ban work in practice?

Say you serve a notice on Ground 1A on 1 November 2026, giving four months' notice. The date in your notice for the earliest possession proceedings is 1 March 2027. Based on Shelter's explanation, the restricted period would then run until 1 March 2028.

That means no tenancy, no holiday let and no short let, and no marketing for any of them, from the day you serve the notice until March 2028. If your buyer pulls out in the summer of 2027, the house could sit empty for months.

What can you still do during the ban?

• Sell. The ban is on letting, not selling. You can market the home for sale, accept an offer and complete.
• Live in it, if you used Ground 1 to move in yourself or a close family member.
• Leave it empty. If a sale falls through, you may be left with an empty house you can't let. The NRLA warns that if you serve Ground 1A and the sale falls through, you may be left with an empty property you cannot re-let for a prolonged period.

Shared owners letting out their home may be exempt from the ban when selling. GOV.UK has separate guidance for shared owners.

Why does this matter if you're thinking about short lets?

Many landlords are weighing up whether to leave long-term renting and switch to short or medium-term lets. The letting ban shapes how you do that.

If you take the home back using the selling or moving-in ground, you cannot short-let it during the restricted period. Doing so would break the ban.

If your tenant leaves on their own, by giving you notice, the letting ban does not apply, because you haven't relied on Ground 1 or 1A. You're then free to choose what to do next, including short lets.

If you use a different ground, such as serious rent arrears, the letting ban linked to Grounds 1 and 1A does not apply either. Take advice before relying on any ground.

At Guestwise, we will not take on a home that's inside a letting ban. It's the law, and it protects you from a fine.

What should landlords do?

1. Be sure of your plan before serving notice. If you're not certain you'll sell or move in, don't use Ground 1 or 1A.
2. Line up your sale first. The NRLA suggests timing and sequencing matter more than ever. Talk to an estate agent before you serve notice.
3. Keep evidence. If you're selling, keep your estate agent and solicitor instructions. The government's guide says a landlord might show they have instructed an estate agent and solicitor to prove they were selling.
4. Write down the dates. Record the date on your notice and work out when the restricted period ends.
5. Take advice. The rules are new and the penalties are real.

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This is general information, not legal advice. It is our own interpretation of the rules as they stand on the date shown above, and the law can change. Speak to a qualified solicitor before you act on anything here.