The Renters' Right Act 2025: What It Means for You

The rental market has experienced significant regulatory change. The Renters' Right Act 2025 has introduced substantial modifications to how properties are rented and managed. Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, these new rules will directly affect your rights and obligations.

Understanding new legislation can feel daunting when you simply need to know how it affects your specific circumstances. This guide explains what the Act means for your situation. It covers the purpose of the legislation, the most significant changes for both tenants and landlords and the steps you should take now to ensure you are compliant.

What is the Renters' Right Act?

The Renters' Right Act is comprehensive housing legislation designed to modernise the rental sector. For years, tenant advocates and property industry professionals have sought a system that better balances housing security with the rights of property owners. This legislation is intended to address that long-standing need.

The Act establishes clear parameters for tenancy agreements, updates eviction procedures and sets higher baseline standards for property conditions. It moves the market away from unpredictable short-term arrangements toward more stable, long-term housing solutions.

This matters because it removes ambiguity from rental relationships. By clearly defining the rights and responsibilities of both parties, the Act helps prevent disputes before they arise. It provides tenants with greater certainty about their living situations while giving landlords a structured, predictable framework for managing their properties.

Key Changes for Tenants

If you currently rent a property or plan to enter into a new tenancy, the Act introduces several protections designed to make renting more secure, predictable and fair.

Enhanced Housing Security

The most significant change for tenants concerns how and when a landlord can require you to vacate the property. The Act introduces stricter criteria for evictions, meaning you can no longer be asked to leave without a clearly defined, valid reason. If you pay your rent on time and maintain the property, you can expect substantially greater stability in your housing.

Improved Living Standards

You have a right to safe, well-maintained accommodation. The new legislation establishes stricter timelines and requirements for property repairs. If a critical system, such as heating or plumbing, fails, landlords must address the issue within specific expedited timeframes. This prevents minor maintenance problems from becoming long-term issues.

Ban on Rental Bidding

When a property is advertised in writing, the landlord or letting agent must state a specific rent. They cannot use a price range or ask you to bid against other prospective tenants. Once the rent is advertised, they are not allowed to encourage, request, or accept offers above that stated amount.

Limits on Rent in Advance

The Act also limits how much rent you can be asked to pay before moving in. In most cases, a landlord or letting agent cannot ask you to pay rent before the tenancy agreement has been signed. After the agreement is signed, but before the tenancy starts, they can usually only ask for up to one month’s rent in advance. This is intended to reduce the burden of high upfront moving costs.

Requesting Permission to Keep a Pet

Tenants now have a legal right to ask for permission to keep a pet in their home. If a tenant makes their request in writing, the landlord must respond in writing within 28 days. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse the request. In some cases, they may have a valid reason to say no, for example if there are restrictions in the building lease or the property is not suitable for the type of pet the tenant wants to keep.

Key Changes for Landlords

If you own and let a property, you must update your operations to maintain compliance. The Act does not remove your right to manage your investment, but it does alter the administrative processes involved.

The End of Assured Shorthold Tenancies

The most immediate change for landlords involves tenancy structures. You can no longer create fixed term assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs).

On 1 May 2026, all existing ASTs automatically converted into assured periodic tenancies. These operate as "rolling" tenancies, continuing until either you or the tenant ends the agreement using the correct legal procedures. You did not need to issue a new contract for this to take effect, but you do have new responsibilities regarding your existing tenants.

Written Information Requirements

You must provide tenants with written information about the key terms of their tenancy:

• For new tenancies (created after 1 May 2026): You must provide specific written terms before the tenancy is agreed upon or signed.

• For existing tenancies with written agreements: You do not need to issue a new lease. However, you must provide your tenants with the government’s official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026.

• For existing oral tenancies: If your pre-existing tenancy had no written agreement, you must provide the required written terms to the tenant by 31 May 2026.

Ending a Tenancy: The Abolition of Section 21

One of the most significant changes in the Act is the abolition of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions. You can no longer serve a notice asking a tenant to leave without a defined reason.

To regain possession of your property, you must now use the "Section 8" process, relying on valid, legally defined grounds. These grounds have been expanded. For example, there are clear grounds if you need to:

• Sell the property

• Move yourself or a close family member into the property

• Deal with significant rent arrears

• Address serious anti-social behaviour or breaches of the tenancy agreement

The amount of notice you must give depends on the specific ground you are using, ranging from a few weeks for serious anti-social behaviour to up to four months for selling the property. If a tenant does not leave after the notice period expires, you must apply to the court for a possession order. You cannot force a tenant to leave without one.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

To reduce pressure on the court system, the Act emphasises alternative dispute resolution. A new ombudsman framework is now available to help landlords and tenants resolve issues, from deposit disputes to repair disagreements, efficiently and with less cost. Engaging with this system is often required before pursuing formal legal action.

Practical Implications: What Happens Next?

Understanding the new rules is only part of the process. You also need to know how these changes apply to your tenancy.

For new tenancy agreements entered into after the Act's commencement date, these rules apply immediately. Every new contract must reflect the updated legal standards.

For existing tenancies, the legislation includes a transition period, so your current contract does not become invalid straight away. However, upon your next renewal, or after a specific statutory deadline, all existing tenancies will automatically transition into the new regulatory framework.

For example, if you are a landlord with a tenant halfway through a one-year lease, you do not need to rewrite the contract today. However, if you plan to renew that lease in several months, the new agreement must comply entirely with the 2026 standards.

Recommended Next Steps

Taking a proactive approach will help you avoid complications. Here is what you should do based on your circumstances.

Action Plan for Tenants

• Review your current lease: Understand when your current term ends and check what your contract states about renewals and rent increases.

• Document property conditions: Take photographs and submit written requests for any outstanding repairs. The new timeline requirements give you stronger backing to secure necessary maintenance.

• Monitor communications: Pay close attention to any correspondence from your landlord regarding lease updates or transitions to the new system.

Action Plan for Landlords

• Audit your documentation: Ensure your standard lease templates, notice forms and tenant information packs meet the new statutory requirements.

• Verify compliance certificates: Confirm that your gas, electrical and energy efficiency certificates are current. You cannot issue valid notices without them under the new rules.

• Update your team: If you use a letting agent, arrange a meeting to confirm they have updated their processes to handle the new possession and dispute resolution procedures.

Summary

The Renters' Right Act aims to create a more balanced and transparent housing market. Tenants gain essential security and improved living standards, while landlords receive a clearer, formalised framework for property management. Adapting to these changes requires some initial administrative work, but the long-term result should be a more stable rental environment.

Reviewing your current agreements and updating your documentation now will ensure you remain protected under the new law.

For specific guidance on how these changes affect your particular circumstances, contact our property team today on 01892 662233 or email at us at reception@dwlaw-online.com.

Written by Kira Meikle - Solicitor