New legislation impacting the private rental sector comes into force today, introducing updated rights and protections for approximately 11 million tenants.
The changes represent the most significant change to the regulatory framework in decades and are expected to change how landlords and letting agents manage tenancies, compliance and day-to-day operations.
How have tenants’ rights improved?
+ No longer section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions – private landlords can no longer evict tenants without a valid reason.
+ Say goodbye to fixed contracts – all tenancies in the private rented sector will continue to be month-to-month or week-to-week (depending on your arrangement) with no end date, giving tenants greater flexibility. Tenants can terminate these with two months’ notice.
+ Fair Rent Rules – Landlords can increase rent only once a year and tenants can challenge unfair increases.
+ No more bidding wars – Landlords don’t have to exceed the advertised rent price.
+ One month’s rent in advance, maximum – Landlords cannot ask for more than this.
+ No discrimination – It is now illegal to refuse tenants just because they receive benefits or have children.
+ Pets welcome – Tenants can now ask to live with a pet and landlords must consider this appropriately.
Is Section 21 (eviction without fault) still legal?
No – these have been banned forever, so a private landlord can no longer evict tenants without a valid reason.
What about landlords? How can a landlord evict a tenant after Section 21 is abolished?
Landlords can still get their property repossessed for obvious reasons – such as selling, moving elsewhere, or dealing with outstanding rent or anti-social behaviour.
The changes aim to strike a fair balance between tenants and landlords, making the system more stable, secure and easier to understand.
The government says it is also investing in the courts to help tenants and landlords get justice quicker, while also increasing the powers and funding of councils to deal with a minority of bad landlords.
How will the Act affect fare increases?
+ Landlords can increase rent only once a year and tenants can challenge unreasonable increases.
+ The changes also put a stop to bidding wars – landlords must not charge more than the advertised rent price.
What’s going to happen next?
From the end of 2026, Phase 2 of the Tenant Rights Act will begin, bringing further reforms to:
A private rental area database
This is a register of all landlords and rental properties in England, so you can check who you’re renting from. The new online database will be gradually rolled out by region from the end of 2026, showing who is renting homes across England. You will be able to check your landlord and see if they are properly registered once you move into the area of your residence.
a free complaint service
A new independent private landlord ombudsman will help tenants deal with complaints against landlords quickly and fairly, without the need to go to court. It will also assist landlords by giving them the tools, guidance and training to deal quickly with tenant complaints.
Progress on future plans – warm and safe homes
The government is also continuing work to improve living conditions in privately rented homes. The consultation will inform them of their deadlines.
New regulations will raise the standards of rented homes in future – tackling damp, mold and dangerous conditions. Landlords will need to fix serious hazards faster and make homes more energy efficient, helping tenants stay warm and cut down on bills.
This is what is coming:
Quick Homeowner Actions to Correct Hazards
The Government is considering extending Awab laws to private rentals – forcing landlords to act faster if a home becomes unsafe. A consultation will be launched soon on how best to do this, so that private tenants can already benefit from the same protections as those supporting social housing tenants.
green house by 2030
By 2030, all privately rented homes must meet new energy efficiency standards (EPC rating C or better) unless exempt. This means better insulation, lower bills and greener living.
A new decent homes standard for private rental by 2035
For the first time, the government will introduce a decent homes standard for privately rented homes – a clear set of rules to ensure that every rented property is safe, warm and in good repair.
This new standard will help raise the bar across the board, giving tenants confidence that their home meets basic safety and quality rules – and giving councils more power to crack down on landlords who don’t meet them.
How do I use my new rights?
Firstly, landlords are responsible for following these new rules – and your local councils now have stronger powers to take action if your landlord breaks them.
If you need help as a tenant, the process you follow depends on the type of dispute you want to raise. The Government’s guidance is a good starting point to check how you deal with different rental issues: Renting a property – GOV.UK.
You are encouraged to raise concerns with your landlord before taking any formal steps. But if you think they’re breaking the law, you may want to contact your local council. Councils have significant powers to take enforcement action, including higher fines and prosecution.
In future, a new private rented sector ombudsman will provide quick, fair, impartial and binding resolution to tenants’ complaints about their landlord.