On 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, changing how tenancies in England are managed and introducing new requirements for landlords.
As many of you will be aware, practices like no-fault evictions are now banned by law and rent increases are only permitted once per year. There are also new stipulations around notice periods and the process of selecting tenants.
We’ll run through some of the most important points to be aware of in the first few months of this new legislation.
If you’re unsure about any of your responsibilities as a landlord, or about any of the changes that have been introduced, speak to your letting agents in Leicester, or wherever you’re based.
Share the information sheet with your tenants
The government has produced an information sheet about the Renters’ Reform Bill. This needs to be provided to all existing tenants – either as a PDF attached to an email or as a physical letter – by 31 May 2026.
It’s important to note that emailing a link to the PDF that can be found on the government’s website is not sufficient. You need to attach the PDF to the email.
The information sheet explains what the new law means and also how their tenancy agreement will change automatically.
No more fixed-term tenancies
As of 1 May 2026, all existing tenancies will automatically become Assured Periodic Tenancies, which means they have no end date. This means tenants are able to remain in a rental property for as long as they want to, or until a landlord issues an eviction notice.
Tenants have to give you two months’ notice that they want to move out, although shorter notice periods are still valid if they are part of your agreement.
However, section 21 no-fault evictions are now banned. Instead, if you want to reclaim your property you will need to issue a valid section 8 notice, which means you have to provide a valid reason to want your tenants to move out, such as anti-social behaviour or persistent rent arrears.
If you need your tenants to move out either so that you can move into the property or so that you can sell it, you will need to give them four months’ notice to find somewhere new to live.
It is also important to note that you cannot evict your tenants to move into your property in the first 12 months of their tenancy.
Any tenant can request to keep a pet
You can no longer stipulate “no pets” as a landlord. Any tenant can request to keep a pet in a rental property and you need to consider the request within 28 days of receiving it. This request must be made in writing and you are not allowed to “unreasonably withhold” consent.
Rent increases are restricted
As a landlord, you can only increase rents once per year and any increase needs to be in line with market rates.
You can increase the rent you are charging by issuing a section 13 notice to your tenants two months before the increase will come into force. Tenants also have the ability to challenge any increases they feel are unfair through a tribunal.
Your letting agent will be able to advise you on current market rates to ensure that any increases are fair for both you and your tenants.
