The Renters’ Rights Act strengthens private rented tenants’ rights, providing greater security and stability to remain in your home for longer and reducing the risk of homelessness.
This below information outlines your rights and what steps to take if your landlord is not complying with the new law. This information is provided as a guide only. You should seek independent legal advice where necessary.
For sole occupancy tenancies
Notices to end tenancy
From 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act will remove assured and assured shorthold tenancies and bring an end to Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions in the private rented sector in England.
If you are served with a Section 21 notice, please contact us for advice. We can liaise with your landlord regarding the notice and the updated legislation to ensure your rights are protected.
If you are served with any of the new notices introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act and would like advice, please contact us.
Find out more about the types of notices a landlord may serve under the new Renters' Rights Act.
Rent in advance
Your landlord must not request, encourage, or accept any rent payment before the tenancy agreement has been signed by both parties.
If you pay rent monthly, they can only request up to one month’s rent after signing and before the tenancy begins. If you pay more frequently, such as weekly, they may request up to 28 days’ rent.
If your landlord asks for rent in advance outside of these limits, contact the consumer service to report it to Trading Standards.
Once your tenancy has started, your landlord may only request rent on the agreed due date and cannot require payment earlier. They must not ask for more than one month’s rent in advance. If this occurs, please contact us for advice.
Rental bidding
Landlords are prohibited from charging a rent that exceeds the amount advertised for the property. If you are applying for a property and the landlord requests a higher rent than initially stated, contact the consumer service to report it to Trading Standards.
Rent increases
Landlords may only increase rent once per year and this must reflect the market rate (the amount that could reasonably be achieved if the property were newly advertised).
Landlords must issue a Section 13 notice confirming the proposed increase and provide at least two months’ notice before it takes effect.
If you believe the increase exceeds the market rate, you can challenge it through the courts. Rent review clauses will not be permitted in new tenancies.
Please contact us if you have any queries about a rent increase proposed by your landlord.
Prohibiting rental discrimination
The Renters’ Rights Act will take direct action to address rental discrimination practices in the private rented sector. It will address both overt discriminatory practices, such as ‘No DSS’ adverts, and situations where landlords or letting agents use other indirect practices in order to prevent someone entering into a tenancy.
If you believe a landlord is discriminating against you, contact the consumer service to report it to Trading Standards. Trading Standards will investigate your claims, liaising with the landlord to make sure they are acting lawfully.
Tenancy terms
There will no longer be the option of assured shorthold or fixed-term tenancies; all tenancies will become periodic.
Ending your tenancy
Tenants can end a tenancy by giving two months’ notice to their landlord. Landlords may only end a tenancy by serving the appropriate notice and complying with the new legal requirements.
If you have received a notice that you think is either incorrect or does not give the prescribed notice, please contact us for advice.
Pets
Your landlord must consider any request to keep a pet on a case-by-case basis. You must make a formal written request, including details of the type of pet you wish to keep. They must respond in writing within 28 days of receiving your request.
If your landlord agrees to you keeping a pet, they cannot charge an additional pet deposit or fee. Any damage caused by the pet may be deducted from the existing tenancy deposit at the end of the tenancy, in the same way as any other damage. If the cost of repairs exceeds the deposit, your landlord may seek to recover the additional costs through the court.
If the request is refused, the refusal must be based on reasonable grounds. Blanket ‘no pets’ policies are no longer permitted.
If your landlord does not respond within 28 days, or you believe your request has been unfairly refused, you may challenge this. Please contact us for advice. We may contact your landlord to explain their legal obligations. If the issue cannot be resolved, you have the right to apply to the court.
Decent Homes Standards
A Decent Homes Standard (DHS) is being introduced in the private rented sector for the first time. Applying a DHS to privately rented homes will ensure tenants benefit from homes that are safe and decent.
If you have concerns about repairs in your private rented accommodation, you can report them to us.
Awaab’s Law
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, Awaab’s Law will be extended to privately rented homes.
Rent repayment orders
Rent repayment orders allow a landlord who has committed certain offences to be required to repay an amount of rent to the tenant or the local authority.
If you are unsure whether your situation meets the criteria, please contact us for advice.
For lodgers
The Renters’ Rights Act has not introduced any changes to lodger agreements. If you are a lodger who has been served notice or evicted, contact us for advice.
For tenants in supported housing
There are specific types of notice that may be used for tenants living in supported accommodation.
If you are living in supported accommodation and are served with notice, check it is valid. If you are unsure whether it is valid, please contact us for advice.
Meeting your legal obligations
It is important that both landlords and tenants understand the new legislation and meet their legal obligations.
In many instances, issues can be resolved through advice or mediation. However, where there is evidence of serious non-compliance, such as illegal eviction, harassment, or other offences, we may proceed directly to formal enforcement action without prior mediation.
Enforcement will always be applied proportionately, taking into account the nature and severity of the breach, and may be implemented immediately where required by law or to protect tenant safety.
Next steps
The introduction of a landlord database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will help address disputes between tenants and landlords without the need to go to court, however this is unlikely to be in place before 2028.