Renters Rights Bill Becomes Law

What It Means for Landlords and Tenants.

On 27^th October 2025, the Renters’ Rights Bill officially became law after The Bill was voted through Parliament and Royal Assent was granted, with the laws expected to come into place in spring 2026. This has delivered the most significant overhaul of England’s private rental sector in decades. The legislation strengthens protections for the country’s 11 million private renters while introducing new compliance obligations for England’s 2.3 million landlords.

Key Changes That Have Been Introduced

The End of Section 21 evictions

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 “No fault” evictions are abolished. A Section 21 eviction enabled a landlord to gain possession of their property without the need to establish a reason or ground for seeking possession (once the fixed term in the tenancy had come to an end).

As a result of the removal of the Section 21 process, in order to evict a tenant, a landlord will now have to rely on the existing Section 8 grounds (of the Housing Act 1988) which requires a landlord to establish a reason as to why they are seeking possession.  The Renters’ Rights Bill has revised and expanded the section 8 grounds to include scenarios such as a landlord wishing to regain possession to sell or move back into the property.

Landlords will still be able to serve a Section 21 Notice at present, up until we receive a ‘commencement date’ for the Renters’ Rights Bill to come into effect.

Stronger Tenant Protections

Tenants can now challenge inadequate property conditions and unreasonable rent increases. Backdoor evictions created through inflated rents have also been prohibited, as tenants are now able to appeal excessive above-market rents which have previously been designed to force them out.   

Rent Arrears Process Extended

Rent arrears procedures will involve longer timeframes and extended notice periods before legal action can begin, making sure rent guarantee cover is essential for landlords to have in place.

Upfront Rent Rules

Landlords can no longer request the first month’s rent until the tenancy agreement has been signed, limiting the risk of potential early arrears and further protecting the tenant.

No Fixed-term Tenancies

Fixed-term tenancies will be abolished, meaning all tenancies will become periodic. Tenants will have the flexibility to leave at any time with two months’ notice, while landlords benefit from strengthened repossession grounds to protect legitimate interests and maintain confidence in the sector.

These changes aim to balance security for tenants with fair and reasonable property recovery rights for landlords.

Rent Increases

Rent Increases will be limited to once annually via a set mechanism and tenants can appeal excessive rises to a tribunal.

Other Protections now in place

Rental bidding above asking price is now prohibited. This will stop landlords and agents from asking for or accepting offers above the advertised rent. This means landlords and agents will now be required to publish an asking rent for their property and it will be illegal to accept offers made above this rate.  

Tenants are now eligible to request pets and landlords must consider this. Landlords must respond within 28 days unless reasonable grounds for refusal exist.

Discrimination against families or benefit recipients is also now banned. This will help to ensure everyone is treated fairly when looking for a home.

An introduction of expanded enforcement powers for local authorities, including higher penalties and stronger investigatory powers, has also now come into effect. 

Future measures to be expected (would require further regulations)

A Private Rented Sector Ombudsman is to be introduced for an efficient, fair, balanced and binding dispute resolution for tenants’ complaints about their landlord.  

A New Property Portal is to be introduced to guide landlords on compliance and legal obligations.

The Decent Homes Standard is to incorporate Awaab’s Law, aiming to enforce timely repairs for dangers such as damp, mould, and poor structural conditions. This will aim to give renters safer, better value homes and remove the blight of poor-quality homes in local communities in the private rented sector.

The application of Awaab’s Law will aim to set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must take action to make homes safe where they contain serious hazards.  

Rent repayment orders will be tougher, applying to superior landlords, doubling the maximum penalty, and requiring repeat offenders to pay the full amount.

The introduction of the Private Rented Sector Database will also aim to improve clarity and help landlords demonstrate compliance. This will also provide better information to tenants to make informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement.   

What’s Next?

Although the Bill is now law, most provisions including the new tenancy regime are expected to come into force in 2026, following secondary legislation and guidance.

We will continue to monitor developments and share practical insights for landlords, tenants, and property professionals as the rollout timeline becomes clearer.

If you have questions about how the Renters’ Rights Bill becoming law affects you, please contact a legal adviser in our Dispute Resolution team.

Previous blogs we have written about the Renters' Rights Bill can be read in this link.