If you own one or two rental properties—perhaps a buy-to-let bought as a long-term investment, or a family home inherited from a parent—the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 impacts you.
It’s the most significant overhaul of the private rented sector in over thirty years.
The Act came into force on 1 May 2026 and reshapes how tenancies work, how rent is set, and how landlords seek possession.
This guide is written for landlords without large portfolios or in-house legal teams. It walks through what is happening, what you need to do this month, and what is coming over the next 12 to 18 months—all in plain English. This isn’t legal advice: That’s for you to seek from professionals. But hopefully it will provide pointers on where to start.
Here’s what we discuss:
Renters’ Rights Act: What is changing, in summary
The Act applies in England and affects most assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) in the private rented sector.
Around 11 million renters and roughly two million landlords fall within its scope.
Here’s the key things to know:
- From 1 May 2026, fixed-term ASTs are replaced by assured periodic tenancies—rolling agreements that continue month by month until either the landlord serves a valid possession notice or the tenant gives two months’ notice to leave.
- Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are abolished. In their place, landlords use Section 8 with reformed and expanded possession grounds, including new grounds covering the sale of the property and a landlord moving back in.
- Rent can be raised once per year with at least two months’ written notice, and tenants can challenge increases through the First-tier Tribunal.
- Any adverts landlords create must list a clear asking rent, and accepting offers above that figure—known as rental bidding—is no longer permitted.
- Landlords cannot ask for more than one month’s rent in advance at the start of a new tenancy.
The most pressing task for landlords with existing tenancies is the Information Sheet.
The government has produced an official document that explains the new rules to tenants, and a copy must be given to every qualifying existing tenant by 31 May 2026.
Failure to do so can result in a financial penalty from the local council.
You can deliver it digitally—email is fine—or on paper, whichever suits your tenant. Keep a record of when and how you sent it.
One note about emailing: You must attach the PDF. It’s not valid to provide a link to a PDF (for example, simply linking to the government’s website).
If your existing arrangement is purely verbal, you cannot use the Information Sheet. Instead you need to provide a written statement of the key terms of the tenancy. Government guidance on this is published on GOV.UK.
For new tenancies signed on or after 1 May 2026, the Information Sheet isn’t used.
Instead, mandatory written information about the tenancy must be included in, or supplied alongside, the tenancy agreement before it’s signed. Updated template agreements that include this information are available from landlord associations and conveyancing services.
One more deadline to note: if you served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, court action must begin by 31 July 2026 for it to remain valid. After that date, only Section 8 routes are open.
Renters’ Rights Act: What’s coming next
Beyond the May 2026 launch, several further changes are scheduled.
A new Private Rented Sector Landlord Database will roll out gradually from late 2026, requiring landlords to register and giving tenants and councils a way to verify properties and ownership.
A Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will be launched to handle tenant complaints outside the court system, offering quicker, lower-cost resolution for both sides.
The government has also indicated that a Decent Homes Standard equivalent will be applied to the private sector, alongside reform of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) to make it easier for landlords and councils to use.
Anti-discrimination provisions mean landlords and agents cannot refuse tenants on the basis that they have children or receive benefits.
There is one further restriction worth understanding now: if you serve a possession notice on the ground of selling the property, you cannot re-let the home for 12 months afterwards. This is designed to keep the ground genuine, and it has real planning implications if you are considering a sale.
Existing requirements remain in place too: protected deposits, valid EPC, gas safety certificate, and electrical safety report are all still required, and councils will have stronger enforcement powers under the new framework.
One more thing to keep on your radar: Making Tax Digital
Alongside the Renters’ Rights Act, there is a parallel change worth knowing about—Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
HMRC’s new digital tax system went live on 6 April 2026 for landlords and sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000.
From 6 April 2027 the threshold drops to £30,000, and from 6 April 2028 it falls again to £20,000. Qualifying income is your gross rental income (before expenses), combined with any self-employment income. For jointly owned properties, only your share of the rent counts toward the threshold.
For most one- or two-property landlords, the £30,000 and £20,000 thresholds are likely to be the ones that matter.
A single property let at £1,700 a month already produces over £20,000 in gross rent, so a large number of small landlords will be brought into scope by 2028.
If you fall in scope, you will need to keep digital records using MTD-compatible software and submit quarterly updates for any businesses you run plus your rental income, plus a single year-end Self Assessment return.
Landlords who hold property through a limited company aren’t affected—companies report under Corporation Tax instead.
While you are updating your tenancy paperwork for the Renters’ Rights Act, it’s a good moment to review your bookkeeping too. Speak to your accountant about which threshold applies to you, and start looking at landlord-friendly accounting software early.
Voluntary sign-up is already open, which gives you time to test the process before it becomes mandatory, regardless of your income level.
Three takeaways for small landlords
Here’s what you should be doing today.
- Update your paperwork now, not later. Swap any old AST templates for new assured periodic tenancy templates, prepare your Information Sheet delivery, and build a simple compliance checklist you can reuse for every future tenancy.
- Diary the key dates. Put 31 May 2026 (Information Sheet deadline), 31 July 2026 (existing Section 21 court deadline), and your tenants’ rent review anniversaries into your calendar now. Rent rises are once a year, so each property needs its own anniversary tracked carefully.
- Invest in the relationship with your tenant. Most disputes that reach the tribunal or the courts start as small misunderstandings. A landlord who communicates clearly, responds promptly to repair requests, and gives proper notice of rent reviews is far less likely to face challenges. The new framework genuinely rewards good practice.
Final thoughts
The Renters’ Rights Act represents a genuine shift in how the private rented sector works, but for landlords who already run their properties professionally and communicate well with tenants, much of it will feel like a formalisation of good practice rather than upheaval.
Combined with the parallel rollout of Making Tax Digital, this is a useful moment to pause and put your systems in order. Tackle it in small steps over the next few weeks, lean on your accountant and any landlord association you belong to, and you will be set up well for the years ahead.
Frequently asked questions
The same rules apply regardless of portfolio size. From 1 May 2026, you will use assured periodic tenancies, cannot use Section 21, can raise rent only once per year, and must give existing tenants the official Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
You can seek possession using Section 8 grounds, including serious rent arrears (now three months), antisocial behaviour, sale of the property, or moving in yourself or a close family member. Each ground has its own evidence and notice requirements.
You must give at least two months’ written notice using a Section 13 notice, and you can only increase rent once in any 12-month period. Tenants can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it’s above market rate.
You may receive a financial penalty from your local council. Sending the sheet by email is sufficient (provided you attach the PDF, and don’t link to it), so it’s a low-effort task—diarise it, send it, and keep a record of the date and method.
Yes. There is a specific possession ground for selling, but if you use it you cannot re-let the property for 12 months. Plan the timing carefully and consider whether vacant possession or a sale with the tenant in place suits your circumstances better.
The penalty for failing to provide the written information for new tenancies (from 1 May 2026) is up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 for repeat or serious noncompliance.
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