At one minute past midnight on 1 May 2026, the UK’s private rented sector will change forever. Every Assured Shorthold Tenancy in England will automatically convert to a rolling periodic tenancy. Section 21 “no-fault” evictions will end. And landlords who aren’t prepared could face fines of up to £40,000.
This is the most significant reform since the Housing Act 1988 — affecting 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords across England. Whether you manage one flat or a hundred properties, this guide breaks down exactly what’s changing, when, and what you need to do to stay compliant.
What’s Changing at a Glance
The table below summarises the key differences between the current system and what takes effect on 1 May 2026:
| Aspect | Before 1 May 2026 | After 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy type | Assured Shorthold (fixed term available) | Assured Periodic (rolling only) |
| No-fault eviction | Section 21 available | Abolished |
| Eviction method | Section 21 or Section 8 | Section 8 only |
| Rent increases | Contractual clauses or Section 13 | Section 13 only |
| Notice for rent increase | 1 month | 2 months |
| Rent in advance | Unlimited | Maximum 1 month |
| Pet clauses | Blanket bans allowed | Must consider individual requests |
| Discrimination | Limited protection | Illegal to refuse based on benefits or children |
Key Dates Every Landlord Must Know
Several important milestones have already passed. The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and new enforcement powers for local councils came into effect on 27 December 2025. The draft regulations for Written Statements of Terms were published on 19 January 2026.
Looking ahead, the government will publish the Information Sheet for existing tenants in March 2026. The absolute last moment to serve a valid Section 21 notice is 4:30pm on 30 April 2026. Then comes the “Big Bang” on 1 May 2026, when the main reforms take effect. Landlords must provide the Information Sheet to existing tenants by 31 May 2026, and any court proceedings on pre-May Section 21 notices must be started by 31 July 2026.
Further changes follow later. The PRS Database will begin regional rollout in late 2026, and landlords will be required to join the new Ombudsman scheme by 2028. The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law for the private sector have no confirmed date yet.
Section 21 Abolition: The End of “No-Fault” Evictions
The headline change is the abolition of Section 21 — the mechanism that currently allows landlords to end tenancies without giving a reason, provided they give two months’ notice.
Section 21 notices can still be served until 4:30pm on 30 April 2026. If you’ve served a valid notice before this deadline, you have until 31 July 2026 to start court proceedings. After that date, any outstanding Section 21 notices will lapse and become unenforceable.
From 1 May 2026, the only way to regain possession is through Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, which requires you to prove specific grounds.
It’s worth clarifying a common misconception here. The phrase “no-fault evictions ending” is somewhat misleading. Landlords can still evict tenants who haven’t done anything wrong — for example, to sell the property or move back in. The difference is that you must now demonstrate a valid reason and be prepared to prove it in court.
New Section 8 Possession Grounds
The Renters’ Rights Act significantly reforms the Section 8 grounds for possession. These fall into two categories: mandatory grounds, where the court must grant possession if you prove your case, and discretionary grounds, where the court decides whether it’s reasonable in the circumstances.
Mandatory Grounds
| Ground | Reason | Notice | Key Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground 1 | Landlord or family wants to move in | 4 months | Cannot use in first 12 months of tenancy |
| Ground 1A (New) | Landlord wants to sell the property | 4 months | Cannot use in first 12 months; 12-month re-letting restriction applies |
| Ground 4A (New) | Student accommodation | 2 months | Must give prior written notice to tenant |
| Ground 6A (New) | Compliance with enforcement action | 2 months | For HMO licensing or prohibition orders |
| Ground 7 | Death of tenant | 2 months | Within 12 months of death |
| Ground 8 | Serious rent arrears | 4 weeks | Now requires 3 months’ arrears (increased from 2) |
Discretionary Grounds
| Ground | Reason | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Ground 10 | Any amount of rent arrears | 4 weeks |
| Ground 11 | Persistently late rent payments | 4 weeks |
| Ground 12 | Breach of tenancy terms | 2 weeks |
| Ground 13 | Property deterioration due to tenant | 2 weeks |
| Ground 14 | Antisocial behaviour | Immediate |
One critical change affects Ground 8, the mandatory ground for serious rent arrears. The threshold has increased from 2 months to 3 months. Additionally, any arrears caused by delayed Universal Credit housing payments won’t count towards this threshold — a significant protection for tenants on benefits.
If you use Ground 1A (selling) to evict a tenant, you cannot re-let or market the property for 12 months afterwards. Combined with the 4-month notice period, this creates a 16-month commitment. Misusing this ground is a serious offence carrying penalties up to £40,000.
How Rent Increases Will Work
The Renters’ Rights Act standardises rent increases across all private tenancies. From 1 May 2026, the only permitted method is a Section 13 notice using Form 4. Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, and you must give tenants 2 months’ notice — doubled from the current 1 month. Any rent review clauses in existing tenancy agreements will become void automatically on 1 May 2026.
There’s no cap on how much you can increase rent. You can still raise it to market rate. However, tenants have stronger rights to challenge increases they believe are above market value.
If a tenant refers your Section 13 notice to the First-tier Tribunal, the Tribunal can reduce the rent to market rate but cannot increase it above what you proposed. Any change applies from the Tribunal’s decision date with no backdating. In cases of genuine financial hardship, the Tribunal can defer the increase by up to 2 months.
The practical implication is that you should keep evidence of comparable local rental prices. If your increase is challenged, you’ll need to demonstrate that your proposed rent reflects the current market.
New Documentation Requirements
Documentation matters more than ever under the new regime. What you need to provide depends on when the tenancy started.
Existing Tenancies
For tenancies that started before 1 May 2026, the requirements depend on whether you have a written agreement in place.
If you have a written tenancy agreement, you need to provide the government’s Information Sheet to all named tenants by 31 May 2026. This sheet will be published on GOV.UK in March 2026. You don’t need to reissue or change your existing tenancy agreement — it continues in force and simply converts to a periodic tenancy automatically.
If your tenancy is based on a verbal agreement with no written contract, you must provide a Written Statement of Terms by 31 May 2026. This document contains all the prescribed information about the tenancy and replaces the requirement to issue the Information Sheet.
New Tenancies
For tenancies starting on or after 1 May 2026, you must provide a Written Statement of Terms before the tenant signs the agreement. This document must include the landlord and tenant names, property address, the date the tenant can first occupy, rent amount and due date, deposit amount if applicable, notice period the tenant must give, which bills are included, and a statement that you can normally only end the tenancy by obtaining a possession order.
This information can be included in the tenancy agreement itself or provided as a separate document. Failure to provide it carries a penalty of up to £7,000.
Pet Requests and Anti-Discrimination Rules
Renting with Pets
Blanket “No pets” clauses in tenancy agreements will no longer be enforceable from 1 May 2026. Instead, tenants can submit a formal request to keep a pet, and landlords must consider each request individually.
You have 4 weeks to respond in writing. If you need more information about the pet, you have an additional week after receiving it to make your decision. If you refuse, you must give valid reasons.
What counts as a reasonable refusal? The property being too small for the animal, a superior landlord (such as a freeholder) prohibiting pets, or shared spaces in an HMO being unsuitable are all acceptable grounds. However, a simple preference against pets is not.
One important nuance: you can still advertise “No pets” and refuse applicants with pets at the viewing stage. The right to request a pet only applies once someone is already your tenant. Also note that the pet insurance provision was removed from the Act — you cannot require tenants to take out pet damage insurance.
Anti-Discrimination Rules
It’s now explicitly illegal to discriminate against prospective tenants because they receive benefits (including Universal Credit and Housing Benefit) or have children. This includes refusing to show them the property, withholding information about availability, and refusing to grant a tenancy.
However, you can still run individual affordability checks and refuse if total income (including benefits) doesn’t meet your criteria. The key distinction is that you must assess each application on its merits rather than applying blanket policies.
Penalties for discrimination start at £7,000 for a first breach and can reach £40,000 for repeat or serious offences.
The New Penalty Regime
Local councils now have stronger enforcement powers and a duty to investigate breaches. The penalties fall into two tiers.
For breaches carrying penalties up to £7,000, the list includes claiming to let on a fixed-term tenancy by adding an end date, failing to provide the Written Statement of Terms, failing to provide the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, using a notice to quit or asking a tenant to leave without going through Section 8, not responding properly to pet requests within the required timeframe, and advertising rent as “offers over” or encouraging bidding.
For more serious offences carrying penalties up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution, the list includes re-letting or marketing a property within the 12-month restricted period after using selling or moving-in grounds, knowingly or recklessly misusing a possession ground, repeated breaches within 5 years, and unlawful eviction or harassment.
Tenants can now claim back up to 24 months’ rent through Rent Repayment Orders at the First-tier Tribunal for certain offences — doubled from the previous 12-month limit.
Before issuing a penalty, the local authority must serve a notice of intent. You then have 28 days to make written representations. If a final notice is issued, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.
What’s Coming in Later Phases
The Renters’ Rights Act will be implemented in phases beyond May 2026.
Phase 2 runs from late 2026 through 2028. This includes the PRS Database, where all landlords must register themselves and each property. The database will include landlord details, enforcement actions taken, and eviction notices served. It’s rolling out regionally from late 2026, with full mandatory registration expected in 2027-2028. The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will also launch during this phase — an independent body to resolve tenant-landlord disputes without going to court. Landlords must join by 2028.
Phase 3 has no confirmed date yet. It will extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, including a revised Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Awaab’s Law — named after Awaab Ishak, who died from mould exposure in social housing — will also apply, introducing strict timescales for addressing hazards like damp and mould.
Preparing for the Changes
The transition will be smoother if you start preparing now rather than waiting until April.
In January and February, review all your current tenancies and identify any without written agreements. Assess whether you need to serve any Section 21 notices before the 30 April deadline. Update your tenancy agreement templates for the new requirements, and review your rent levels against market comparables. Sign up for GOV.UK email alerts to stay informed as new guidance is published.
In March, download the government Information Sheet as soon as it’s published. If you have student accommodation and plan to use Ground 4A, prepare the required written notices. Finalise your Written Statement of Terms template.
In April, if you need to serve Section 21, do so before 4:30pm on 30 April. Brief any letting agents you work with on the new requirements. Make sure all your systems are ready for the 1 May transition.
In May, all tenancies convert to periodic automatically on 1 May — no action is required for this to happen. Issue the Information Sheet to all existing tenants by 31 May. For any verbal agreement tenancies, issue the Written Statement of Terms by the same deadline.
In July, remember that 31 July is the absolute last day to start court proceedings on any pre-May Section 21 notices.
How Property Management Software Helps
The new regulatory environment demands better record-keeping, timely communications, and documented compliance. Modern property management platforms can help by automating deadline reminders for compliance dates and certificate renewals, providing tenant portals that create documented communication trails, storing tenancy agreements and compliance certificates in one place, tracking rent with automatic arrears alerts, and logging maintenance requests with timestamps for future Awaab’s Law compliance.
The key is having a system where everything is documented, timestamped, and retrievable — essential when penalties can reach £40,000 and enforcement bodies have new investigatory powers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still evict tenants after 1 May 2026?
Yes. The abolition of Section 21 doesn’t mean you can’t evict tenants — it means you need a valid reason and must use the Section 8 process. You can still regain possession to sell the property (Ground 1A), move in yourself or family (Ground 1), or for tenant fault such as rent arrears (Ground 8) or antisocial behaviour (Ground 14). The difference is that you must prove your grounds in court rather than simply serving a no-fault notice.
What happens to my existing tenancy agreements?
All Assured Shorthold Tenancies automatically convert to Assured Periodic Tenancies at midnight on 1 May 2026. This happens without any action from you or your tenant. The existing agreement continues — you don’t need to issue a new contract. Any fixed term ends immediately, and the tenancy becomes a rolling month-to-month arrangement. Your existing terms remain valid except where they conflict with the new rules (for example, rent review clauses become void).
Do I need to issue new contracts to current tenants?
No. If you already have a written tenancy agreement, you don’t need to change or reissue it. You simply need to provide the government’s Information Sheet to your tenants by 31 May 2026, explaining how their tenancy has changed. The only exception is if your current tenancy is based entirely on a verbal agreement — in that case, you must provide a Written Statement of Terms by 31 May 2026.
Is there a rent cap under the new rules?
No. There is no cap on rent increases. You can still increase rent to market rate. The changes are procedural: you must use a Section 13 notice, give 2 months’ notice instead of 1, and can only increase rent once per year. Tenants can challenge increases they believe are above market rate at the First-tier Tribunal, but the Tribunal can only reduce rent to market rate — not below it.
What if I want to sell my rental property?
You can use the new Ground 1A to regain possession for sale. You must give 4 months’ notice and cannot use this ground in the first 12 months of a tenancy. There’s also a 12-month restriction afterwards — you cannot re-let or market the property for rent during this period. If you do, you face penalties up to £40,000. This prevents landlords from using the selling ground and then simply re-letting to new tenants.
Can I still refuse tenants on benefits?
You cannot have blanket policies refusing tenants because they receive benefits or have children — this is now explicitly illegal. However, you can still run individual affordability checks and refuse applicants whose total income (including benefits) doesn’t meet your criteria. The key is assessing each application on its merits rather than applying automatic exclusions.
What happens if I don’t comply?
Local authorities can impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches such as failing to provide required documentation or not responding to pet requests properly. More serious offences — including misusing possession grounds or re-letting within the restricted period — can attract penalties up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution. Tenants can also apply for Rent Repayment Orders of up to 24 months’ rent through the First-tier Tribunal.
Do these rules apply to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
No. The Renters’ Rights Act 2026 applies to England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own housing legislation and regulatory frameworks. If you have properties in multiple UK nations, you’ll need to comply with the specific rules in each jurisdiction.
Final Thoughts
The Renters’ Rights Act 2026 represents the biggest change to private renting in England since 1988. While the reforms are substantial, landlords who understand the changes and prepare properly will navigate this transition successfully.
The critical date is 1 May 2026. Section 21 ends, but eviction remains possible through Section 8 — you just need to learn the grounds. Documentation matters more than ever, so get your paperwork in order now. Penalties are real, ranging from £7,000 for breaches to £40,000 for serious offences. And perhaps most importantly, don’t wait until April to start preparing.
The Government continues to publish guidance, and further details will emerge over the coming months. Stay informed by signing up for alerts at GOV.UK.
This guide was last updated in January 2026 and reflects the latest published government guidance. Regulations are still being finalised in some areas. For specific legal advice, consult a qualified solicitor or your landlord association.
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