Following over a year of debate, speculation and concerns regarding amendments, the new year will be especially new for landlords as a wave of reforms takes effect.
These reforms, which collectively form the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, received Royal Assent that year, but many of its most significant changes will take legal effect throughout 2026 and beyond.
This gives landlords time to prepare, but if you are concerned, get in touch with an independent estate agent who specialises in letting to receive tailored, independent advice regarding your next steps.
How long do you have left to prepare? What should you expect to change this year? And what else will change over the next few years?
What Are The First Landlord Reforms To Come In?
The first stage of the Renters’ Rights reforms is set to come into effect on 1st May 2026, but it is perhaps the most immediately significant and the one that landlords should be making arrangements to prepare for now.
It will fundamentally change how tenancies are structured, rental practices, the balance of power between tenants and landlords and how the end of tenancies will be managed from now on.
No More No-Fault Evictions
By far the biggest and certainly the most publicised change is the abolition of Section 21, where a landlord can repossess a property with two months’ written notice without a stated reason.
Instead, either tenants and landlords must agree to a moving out date, or you must rely on a new set of grounds for eviction which, alongside existing grounds such as antisocial behaviour or at least three months of rent arrears, includes evictions for refurbishment and redevelopment requirements or repossession to sell or to allow a close family member to live in it.
If you need to use a Section 21 order to evict a tenant, it must be served before 1st May.
No More Fixed Term Tenancies
By default, assured periodic tenancies will be the default type of rental agreement, working on a rolling basis and only ending with a Section 8 notice or once a tenant gives two months’ notice.
Once A Year Rent Increases
The Act also intends to end the practice of backdoor evictions through serious rent hikes, where long-term tenants are forced out of their homes.
Instead, rent increases must be in line with local market rates and can only be increased once per year, with at least two months’ notice of the intended new rent.
Only One Month’s Rent In Advance
Landlords can only ask for one month’s worth of rent in advance, which, alongside a ban on rental bidding, helps to make the process of renting more transparent and more attainable.
No Bans On Children, Pets And Benefit Claimants
Landlords cannot directly or indirectly refuse or discriminate against tenants simply because they have children or receive Universal Credit or another type of benefit.
Similarly, landlords can no longer refuse a written request to keep a pet without a good reason.
What Other Changes Will Affect Landlords This Year?
By the end of 2026, there will be two new initiatives rolled out:
- A private sector landlord database, which includes contact information, details of properties they own and safety compliance certification and reports.
- A private sector landlord ombudsman, which provides free and independent advice to help mediate disputes between tenants and landlords.
As well as this, work will begin on a Decent Homes Standard for private landlords, which will require landlords to act on serious health hazards according to a legally enforceable timeframe and meet minimum sustainability and stricter energy efficiency requirements.
