The Renters' Rights Act explained in 10 minutes

The Renters' Rights Act limits how often you can raise the rent, how much you can take upfront, and when you can take your home back. Get it wrong and your council can fine you up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 for serious or repeat breaches.

Here is every change that matters to a private landlord in England, and when each one starts.

When does the Renters' Rights Act come in?

The Act became law on 27 October 2025. The main changes to tenancies started on 1 May 2026. Registration on a new landlord database opens region by region from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands. An ombudsman, Awaab's Law and the Decent Homes Standard follow later.

What happens to section 21 and fixed terms?

You can no longer end a tenancy without a reason. Most tenancies are now rolling tenancies with no end date, and you cannot agree a fixed term with a new tenant.

To get your home back you need a legal reason, such as selling, moving in, or serious rent arrears. We explain each one in Section 21 is gone: what landlords in England can do now.

Your tenant can leave at any time by giving you two months' notice.

How often can you raise the rent?

GOV.UK states that landlords can raise the rent once a year, using the new legal process, and have to give at least two months' notice before the new rent starts.

The process uses a "section 13 notice", a government form that sets out the new rent. If your tenant thinks the new rent is above the market rate, they can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide. This is an independent tribunal that settles housing disputes. The tribunal cannot set a rent higher than you asked for, and the new rent starts from its decision, not from the date you chose.

Rent review clauses in a tenancy agreement no longer work. Every rise has to go through this process.

How much rent can you take upfront?

You can only ask for up to one month's rent between the tenancy being signed and the tenant moving in. You cannot take any rent before it is signed. Once the tenancy starts, you cannot demand rent before it is due. You can still carry out affordability checks and ask for a guarantor.

Can tenants bid above the asking rent?

Any written advert must show a set rent. You cannot ask for, encourage or accept an offer above that rent.

Can you refuse tenants with children or on benefits?

You cannot refuse or put off someone because they have children or receive benefits. That includes hiding whether a home is available or refusing a viewing. You can still check whether someone can afford the rent.

Can tenants ask to keep a pet?

GOV.UK states that landlords have to consider a tenant's request to keep a pet and reply within a set time, and that a refusal needs a valid reason. The government's guide says a ban in your own lease, from a freeholder or superior landlord, is always a reasonable reason.

What paperwork do landlords need?

GOV.UK states that for most tenancies that started before 1 May 2026, landlords had to give tenants the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, and that for new tenancies they have to give certain information in writing, usually in the tenancy agreement. Fenland District Council warns that failing to give the information sheet can lead to a fine of up to £7,000.

What is coming next?

The "Register your rental property" service opens region by region from 15 December 2026. GOV.UK states that landlords letting on an assured tenancy have to register themselves and each property.

The government's guide says landlords who have not registered will not be able to get a possession order, except on the antisocial behaviour grounds. Letting or advertising a home before it is registered can mean a fine of up to £7,000.

Later, every private landlord will have to join a new ombudsman. An ombudsman is a free, independent service that settles tenants' complaints, and GOV.UK states its decisions will be binding on landlords. GOV.UK also states that the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law will set rules on the condition of rented homes and how fast serious hazards such as damp and mould have to be fixed.

What are the fines for breaking the rules?

Councils can issue fines of up to £7,000 for a first or minor breach, and up to £40,000 for serious or repeat breaches, or prosecute instead.

Tenants can also apply for a rent repayment order. This is an order from the tribunal making you pay back rent. The maximum has doubled from 12 to 24 months' rent.

Who does the Act not cover?

The rules apply to assured tenancies. The NRLA explains that lodger agreements, company lets and arrangements where the home is not the occupier's main home are not assured, so the new rules do not apply to them.

What has the impact been so far?

The Act has only been in force since 1 May 2026, so the full picture will take time. Early surveys suggest many landlords are thinking about leaving. The Deposit Protection Service's review of 1,007 landlords, carried out straight after the Act came in, found that 56% planned to sell some or all of their portfolio, up from 53% in October 2025. Among landlords with one or two homes, 31% said they intended to sell everything and leave the rental market.

Intentions aren't the same as sales, and not every landlord who says they'll sell will do so. If you're weighing up your own options, three guides may help: the letting ban explained, assured periodic tenancies explained and the information sheet: what landlords need to know.

What does this mean for you?

• Plan rent rises a year apart, and use the proper form with two months' notice.
• Take no more than one month's rent upfront, and put a fixed price on every advert.
• Get ready to register each property when your region opens. Without registration you lose most routes to getting your home back.
• If these rules take away the control you want over your own home, look at whether short stays for guests who live elsewhere would suit your home better.

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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.