Written by Daniel Andrews, Partner & Solicitor, Cramp & Mullaney LLP
Last reviewed: April 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the most significant piece of housing legislation to affect private renting in England since the Housing Act 1988. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and will change the relationship between landlords and tenants in a number of important ways. If you rent privately in England, or if you own a property that you let out, this Act is relevant to you and it is worth taking the time to understand what it does.
The Act has been introduced by the Labour Government as part of a wider programme of housing reform. It builds on years of campaigning by tenant groups and housing charities who argued that the private rented sector in England was not working fairly for the people who live in it. The statistics that underpinned that argument were difficult to ignore. Average private rents in England increased by 8.6 per cent in the year to July 2024, well above wage growth. Around 17 households were competing for each advertised rental property in 2024, according to figures from Rightmove. And approximately 4.7 million households in England now rent privately, representing around 11 million people who depend on the private rented sector as their home.
What Does the Act Actually Do?
The Act makes several significant changes to how private renting works in England. The most headline-grabbing is the abolition of Section 21 no-fault evictions, which allows landlords to end a tenancy without having to give any reason. That power disappears from 1 May 2026. From that date, landlords who want to recover their property will need to use the Section 8 process and establish a specific legal ground for possession, which will in almost all cases require a court hearing.
The Act also abolishes the Assured Shorthold Tenancy as the standard form of private residential tenancy. From 1 May 2026, all new tenancies will be Assured Periodic Tenancies, which means they run on a rolling month-to-month basis with no fixed end date. Existing tenancies will convert to this new format automatically on that date without any need for new paperwork.
Beyond these headline changes, the Act introduces restrictions on how often rent can be increased, bans landlords from accepting above-asking-price rent offers or encouraging bidding wars, limits rent in advance to one month, gives tenants the right to request a pet, and makes it unlawful to refuse a tenancy application on the grounds that the applicant receives benefits or has children.
When Do the Changes Take Effect?
The Act is being introduced in phases. The most significant changes, including the abolition of Section 21 and the switch to periodic tenancies, take effect on 1 May 2026. A second phase later in 2026 will introduce a national Private Rented Sector Landlord Database, on which all landlords will be required to register, and a mandatory Landlord Ombudsman service. A third phase, not expected until 2035 at the earliest, will extend the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.
Some enforcement powers for local housing authorities have already been in place since 27 December 2025, which means councils are already better equipped to investigate landlords who are failing to comply with existing housing law.
What Should You Do Now?
Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, the most useful thing you can do right now is understand how the Act applies to your specific circumstances. For tenants, that means knowing your current tenancy type and checking that your deposit is protected correctly. For landlords, it means reviewing your compliance paperwork, updating your tenancy agreement templates, and making sure you understand what the new Section 8 possession process involves.
Over the coming weeks we will be publishing a series of articles on each aspect of the Act, covering everything from Section 21 and Section 8 to rent increases, pet rights and the new anti-discrimination provisions. We have tried to write them in plain English, because housing law can be complicated and the consequences of misunderstanding it can be serious for both landlords and tenants.
If you are a landlord or tenant in East Sussex and would like advice on how the Renters’ Rights Act affects your situation, we would be happy to help. Cramp & Mullaney LLP has offices in Eastbourne at The White House, 97 South Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4LR and in Battle at 42A High Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0EA. You can call our Eastbourne office on 01323 720581 or our Battle office on 01424 533222. We offer a fixed fee 30-minute initial consultation and act for both landlords and tenants across East Sussex and the wider South East.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need advice about your specific situation, please contact Cramp & Mullaney LLP on 01323 720581 (Eastbourne) or 01424 533222 (Battle), or email us at info@cmlaw.co.uk. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 598851).
