BREAKING NEWS - RENTERS RIGHT ACT

The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. 

According to the Government’s implementation roadmap, a number of key milestones are:

November 2025: guidance for landlords and for local councils, and a communications campaign commences. 

27 December 2025: new investigatory/enforcement powers for local councils under the Act will go live.

1 May 2026: the first phase of the major reforms comes into force for landlords, tenants and councils (including the shift to periodic tenancies, the end of fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies, limitations on rent in advance, new rent increase procedure, rights around pets, ban on Section 21 no-fault evictions).

Later in 2026 and beyond: further provisions such as a landlord ombudsman, PRS database for private rented sector, and standards-raising reforms. 

In short: while the full reforms won’t all arrive tonight, the clock is ticking and a major shift begins 1 May 2026.

For landlords in England the Act brings a number of significant changes.

Key impacts include:

From 1 May 2026, existing ASTs will convert to a new assured periodic tenancy regime. New fixed-terms (of the usual kind) will largely be phased out. 

This means landlords need to review existing contracts, plan for how tenancies roll over, and ensure documentation is compliant.

From the commencement date, landlords will no longer be able to simply serve a Section 21 (so-called no-fault) notice to regain possession in most cases. 

Landlords will need to rely on revised grounds for possession (under Section 8 or new grounds) and ensure they meet the correct procedure.

3. Rent regulation and bidding bans:

The Act imposes new rules around rent rises: only one rent increase per year is envisaged, and proper procedure must be followed. 

It will ban rental bidding wars (i.e., multiple potential tenants bidding up price above advertised rent). 

It will also cap or limit rent in advance for new tenancies. 

Landlords must therefore examine how they propose rent increases and how their letting practices (including advertising and tenant selection) align with the new rules.

Tenants will have an implied right to request keeping a pet; landlords will need to have legitimate reasons to refuse rather than blanket bans. 

The Act strengthens protection against discrimination (for example against tenants on benefits or with children). 

Landlords should update house rules, tenancy clauses, and policies to ensure fairness and avoid inadvertently contravening the new provisions.

Guidance and regulations will come in ahead of the full date, so landlords need to begin preparing now. 

Local councils will have enhanced investigatory and enforcement powers (from December 2025). 

Landlords should expect to update tenancy agreements, information leaflets for tenants, and processes for rent increases, possession, tenant requests (e.g., pets).

Failure to comply may trigger legal risk, faster enforcement action, and reputational damage.

Review all current tenancy agreements and letting practices with the view to migrate to the new regime.

Update documentation, policies and procedures (rent increases, pet policies, selection criteria, bidding practices).

Train staff/agents about the upcoming changes so that they understand the new rights and obligations.

Communicate with tenants about forthcoming changes (especially where their existing tenancies will convert).

Monitor Government guidance and statutory instruments (as many detailed rules will be set via secondary legislation).

If you’re using a letting agent (or are one), ensure that they are aligned and pro-active about compliance.

As a letting agency operating in the London and Essex market, Property Vine Lettings can play a key role in helping landlords prepare for and navigate the changes brought by the Renters’ Rights Act.

Some specific ways it can help:

Proactive compliance review: Property Vine Lettings can review each landlord’s portfolio and current tenancy documentation, identify where contracts or practices don’t align with the new regime, and recommend updates ahead of 1 May 2026.

Policy and process updates: They can assist in updating house rules, tenancy agreements, pet-policies, rent increase procedures, and selection criteria to reflect the new rights of tenants and obligations of landlords.

Tenant communications: By managing communications with tenants, Property Vine Lettings can ensure that tenants are informed of forthcoming changes, the impact on their tenancy, and maintain good landlord/tenant relations—reducing risk of disputes.

Training and implementation support: The agency can equip landlords with training or guides on what their role will be, how to handle possession requests, how to process rent increases properly under the new rules, and how to avoid practices such as bidding wars that may become unlawful.

Ongoing updates and monitoring: Because not all provisions will come into force at once, Property Vine Lettings can keep landlords informed about upcoming phases (e.g., the PRS database, ombudsman schemes, standards reforms) so they don’t get caught off-guard.

In summary: by partnering with Property Vine Lettings, landlords can minimise the risk of non-compliance, reduce the likelihood of disputes, and position themselves as proactive, responsible providers of rental homes—benefitting both their business and their tenants.