Renters' Rights Act 2025: Complete Guide for Private Landlords in England
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the most significant change to the private rented sector in England since the Housing Act 1988. It abolished Section 21 no-fault eviction, ended fixed-term assured tenancies, and introduced new statutory obligations for landlords. This guide sets out the key changes, the dates they took effect, and what landlords must do in response. This guide is derived from the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the Housing Act 1988 as amended, and official GOV.UK guidance. It is not legal advice.
The main provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force for all private assured tenancies in England on 1 May 2026. This includes the abolition of Section 21, the conversion of all fixed-term tenancies to periodic, and the new pet request process. Transitional provisions applied to some existing tenancies — details below.
Section 21 abolished
Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 permitted landlords to recover possession of a property from an assured shorthold tenant without giving any reason, subject to procedural requirements. From 1 May 2026, section 21 notices can no longer be served for any private assured tenancy in England.
This applies to all assured and assured shorthold tenancies, including those that began before 1 May 2026. The Government chose not to create a two-stage implementation — the abolition applied to all tenancies simultaneously.
Under the transitional provisions, a section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 could only be used to commence possession proceedings up to the earlier of six months after the date of service or 31 July 2026. Tenancies that began on or after 1 January 2026 were in practice unable to benefit from section 21, because there was insufficient time before the 1 May 2026 abolition date for a valid notice to run its course. Landlords in proceedings that had already commenced should seek legal advice on how the transitional provisions apply to their specific case.
Section 8 is now the only possession route
All possession claims by private landlords in England must now be brought under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988. A section 8 notice must specify one or more of the statutory grounds set out in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025).
Courts retain discretion on all but the mandatory grounds. A landlord who relies on a mandatory ground is entitled to possession if the ground is made out. On discretionary grounds, the court may refuse possession even where the ground is established if it considers it reasonable not to make an order.
Under section 8, courts have discretion in possession proceedings. The official guidance states that landlords can be prevented from gaining possession if they have not complied with certain statutory requirements, including deposit protection obligations and, once operational, PRS Database registration. Landlords should seek legal advice before serving a Section 8 notice. Courts have broad discretion and the outcome of any proceedings depends on the specific facts.
Key Section 8 grounds after RRA 2025
| Ground | Description | Type | Minimum notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground 1 | Landlord or named family member requires the property as their only or principal home. Cannot be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy. | Mandatory | 4 months |
| Ground 1A | Landlord intends to sell the property. Cannot be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy. Introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. | Mandatory | 4 months |
| Ground 2 | Mortgagee requires possession, having lent money on the property before the tenancy was granted. | Mandatory | 2 months |
| Ground 6 | Landlord intends to demolish or substantially redevelop the premises and cannot reasonably do so with the tenant in occupation. | Mandatory | 2 months |
| Ground 6A | Property is subject to an enforcement notice, improvement notice, or prohibition order under relevant housing legislation. Introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. | Mandatory | 2 months |
| Ground 7A | Tenant or person residing in or visiting the property has been convicted of a serious offence, or found guilty of anti-social behaviour through certain court orders. Absolute ground. | Mandatory | 4 weeks |
| Ground 8 | At the date of service of the notice and the date of the hearing, the tenant owes at least 2 months' rent (if payable monthly) or 8 weeks' rent (if payable weekly). Both conditions must be met. | Mandatory | 4 weeks |
| Ground 10 | Some rent is in arrears at the date of service of the notice and at the date of the hearing. | Discretionary | 4 weeks |
| Ground 11 | The tenant has persistently delayed paying rent, whether or not any is outstanding at the date of the hearing. | Discretionary | 4 weeks |
| Ground 14 | The tenant or a person residing in or visiting the property has been guilty of conduct causing or likely to cause a nuisance or annoyance to neighbours, or has been convicted of a relevant offence. | Discretionary | 2 weeks |
This table covers the grounds most commonly relevant to private residential landlords. It is not a complete list of all Schedule 2 grounds. Notice periods shown are the minimum required under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and may differ from the periods that applied before commencement. Always verify current requirements with a qualified solicitor before serving a notice.
Fixed-term tenancies abolished
From 1 May 2026, no new fixed-term assured tenancy can be created in England. All new assured tenancies are periodic from the outset.
Most existing fixed-term assured tenancies automatically converted to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. The rental period is determined by how rent was payable under the existing agreement — a monthly rental tenancy becomes a monthly periodic tenancy.
Clauses in existing tenancy agreements that are inconsistent with the Renters' Rights Act 2025 — including rent review clauses, break clauses, and fixed-term expiry provisions — are no longer enforceable to the extent they conflict with the Act.
Rent increases: Section 13 notices only
From 1 May 2026, the only lawful method for a private landlord in England to increase rent on an assured periodic tenancy is by serving a Section 13 notice using the prescribed form published by the government.
The notice must:
- Be given on the prescribed government form — Form 4A, which applies to private sector tenancies from 1 May 2026
- Give at least two months' written notice before the new rent is to take effect
- Propose a new rent to take effect on the first day of a new rental period
- Not increase rent more than once in any 52-week period
- Not take effect in the first year of a new tenancy — rent cannot be increased using Section 13 during the first 12 months of a tenancy
Any rent increase purported to be made under a rent review clause in a tenancy agreement is not valid after 1 May 2026. Rent review clauses can no longer be used to increase rent on assured tenancies after 1 May 2026. Rent increases must be made via Section 13 notice using Form 4A, regardless of when the tenancy agreement was originally signed.
Tenants who receive a Section 13 notice may refer the proposed increase to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the date the increase is due to take effect. The Tribunal may determine a market rent.
Pet requests: timing and process
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, tenants in England have a statutory right to request in writing to keep a pet at the property. Landlords must consider the request and respond in writing.
The landlord must respond within the statutory period, which is ordinarily 28 days from the date the request is received. A later deadline applies where the landlord has reasonably requested further information from the tenant — in which case the response must be given within 7 days of receiving that information. A landlord who does not respond within the applicable period is treated as having given consent.
A landlord may refuse a pet request, but only on reasonable grounds. The official GOV.UK guidance states that tenants can challenge unfair decisions. Landlords who refuse should document their reasons carefully. The grounds for refusal are not exhaustively defined in the legislation.
The official guidance notes that landlords may be able to require tenants to take out pet damage insurance where consent is given. The practical application of this will depend on the documentation used and insurance products available. Always check current GOV.UK guidance and seek legal advice before imposing conditions.
RRA Information Sheet obligation
The government published an official information document (the RRA Information Sheet) explaining the changes introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Landlords are required to provide this document to tenants.
- For assured or assured shorthold tenancies created before 1 May 2026 that have a wholly or partly written record of terms: the document must be provided to the tenant by 31 May 2026.
- For new tenancies on or after 1 May 2026: the RRA Information Sheet obligation as described above does not apply. Landlords must instead provide certain written information about the tenancy as required under the revised assured tenancy framework. See the GOV.UK guidance on assured tenancy forms from 1 May 2026 for the current requirements.
The 31 May 2026 deadline requires provision of the official government document — the RRA Information Sheet 2026 published by MHCLG. A landlord's own summary of the changes does not satisfy this obligation. The document is available at GOV.UK.
Private Rented Sector Database
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides for the establishment of a national Private Rented Sector Database. Registration will be mandatory for private landlords in England. The database is a Phase 2 measure. As of April 2026, the database has not yet opened for registration. The government's published implementation roadmap states that mandatory landlord sign-up is planned to begin from the late-2026 rollout, with exact operational details and the registration fee to be confirmed closer to launch.
Once the database is in operation, the government has stated that once the database is operational, landlords who are not registered will not be able to rely on certain possession grounds, including Ground 1 (landlord requires the property as their home) and Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell). The database is not yet operational and implementation details will be confirmed closer to launch. The government's published implementation roadmap states that landlord sign-up will be mandatory, with the fee and exact operational details to be confirmed closer to launch.
Although registration is not yet mandatory, landlords should begin gathering the information that will be required for the database, including property address, landlord details, EPC rating, and current licensing status. LettingsLedger tracks this as a preparation task and will update when registration opens.
Key dates at a glance
What landlords must do now
- Serve the RRA Information Sheet on tenants in relevant existing assured tenancies by 31 May 2026 using the official MHCLG document, with proof of delivery retained.
- Remove rent review clauses from any template tenancy agreements you use. Clauses purporting to increase rent outside the Section 13 process are void and using them in new agreements creates confusion.
- Establish a process for pet requests. When a written request is received, log the date immediately. You have 28 days to respond in writing. If you reasonably request further information from the tenant, you must respond within 7 days of receiving that information. Do not let a deadline pass without a written response.
- Review your possession strategy. Section 21 no longer exists. If you anticipate needing to recover possession, identify which Section 8 ground applies and any ground-specific conditions or notice requirements that apply to it. Ensure deposit protection requirements have been met and other applicable statutory obligations fulfilled. Do not assume that Section 21-era compliance prerequisites apply wholesale to Section 8 — the requirements vary by ground. Always take legal advice before serving a Section 8 notice.
- Prepare for the PRS Database. Gather your property information — address, EPC rating, HMO licence status if applicable — so registration is straightforward when the portal opens.
- Update your compliance programme. Your statutory obligations have changed and expanded. Review them in full.
Does the Renters' Rights Act 2025 apply in Scotland and Wales?
No. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 applies to England only. Scotland and Wales have separate private rented sector legislation.
- Scotland: The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 governs private residential tenancies in Scotland. No-fault eviction by landlords was restricted in Scotland significantly earlier than in England.
- Wales: The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 governs occupation contracts in Wales and came fully into force in December 2022. It created the "occupation contract" as the primary residential tenancy vehicle.
- Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland has a separate legislative framework for the private rented sector under the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and related legislation.
This guide covers England only. Do not apply the provisions described here to tenancies in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.