In just over three weeks, the rules of letting property in England change. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its main tenancy reforms come into force on 1 May 2026. It represents the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector in a generation.
The Act applies to the private rented sector in England. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have separate housing legislation and are not covered by these reforms.
If you're a landlord in England, here's the position in one paragraph: Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are abolished, all assured shorthold tenancies convert to a new periodic tenancy structure, existing tenants on written or partly written assured shorthold tenancies must receive a formal Information Sheet, and councils have new powers to issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches — without going to court.
The Act has been on the horizon for years, but the practical reality has only just become urgent. The deadline is weeks away, not months. This guide covers exactly what changes on 1 May 2026, what to do before the deadline, and how to keep the kind of property records that make every dispute easier to resolve.
What changes on 1 May 2026
The Act bundles several major changes into a single piece of legislation. The provisions taking effect on 1 May 2026 are:
Section 21 abolition. From 1 May 2026, you cannot serve a new Section 21 "no-fault" eviction notice. Possession must instead be sought under one of the amended or expanded Section 8 grounds, which include rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, landlord occupation, and sale of the property, among others.
Section 21 transitional rules. If you serve a Section 21 notice on or before 30 April 2026, it remains usable — but only within a strict window. You must issue court proceedings within six months of serving the notice, or by 31 July 2026, whichever comes first. After that cut-off, the notice is void and you'll need to use the new Section 8 framework. Full transitional guidance is available in the official gov.uk landlord notice guidance.
Tenancy structure change. All assured shorthold tenancies automatically become assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. Fixed terms cease to exist for new tenancies, and existing fixed-term agreements no longer have an end date. Landlords cannot opt out, and existing written agreements stay in force but cannot override the new statutory rules.
Information Sheet duty. Landlords must provide a written Information Sheet to existing tenants who were on assured or assured shorthold tenancies before 1 May 2026 with a written or partly written agreement. The deadline is 31 May 2026. The official template was published by the government on 20 March 2026 and is available on gov.uk. Wholly verbal tenancies are subject to a separate duty to provide written key terms.
Enhanced council enforcement. Local authorities can now issue civil penalties without taking cases to court. Most breaches carry a maximum penalty of up to £7,000. More serious offences, continuing breaches, and repeat breaches can attract penalties of up to £40,000. The exact figure depends on the nature of the breach.
Other key changes you need to know about
The Act introduces several other reforms that take effect on or shortly after 1 May 2026:
- Rent increase rules. Rent can only be increased once per year, must use the statutory Section 13 / Form 4A process, and requires at least two months' notice. Tenants can challenge above-market increases at tribunal. Existing rent review clauses in older tenancy agreements can no longer be used to push through new increases — Section 13 / Form 4A is the only route.
- Rental bidding ban. Landlords and letting agents must advertise an asking rent and cannot invite or accept bids above it. Rent in advance cannot be requested or accepted before the tenancy is agreed.
- Tenant notice to leave. Tenants can end the tenancy by giving two months' notice at any point. Landlords cannot require longer notice from tenants. This is a material operational change for landlords used to fixed-term agreements.
- Pet requests. Tenants have a legal right to request a pet, and landlords cannot refuse without a fair reason. There is a 28-day written response timetable.
- Discrimination protections. It is unlawful to discriminate against prospective tenants because they have children or because they receive benefits.
- Sale and move-in possession grounds — two restrictions to know about. Landlords generally cannot use the sale or move-in grounds for possession within the first 12 months of a new tenancy, and notice periods for these grounds are typically four months. Separately, if you do use one of these grounds, there is generally a 12-month restriction on marketing or re-letting the property afterwards. Both restrictions are significant and need to be factored into any decision to repossess.
Info
The Decent Homes Standard does NOT apply from 1 May 2026. The Act creates the legal framework to extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, but the government's current policy position is that the new standard will apply to private landlords from 2035. You can audit your properties against it now if you want, but this is not a 1 May 2026 requirement and there is no urgent deadline attached to it.
Info
Awaab's Law is separate and not yet extended to the PRS. Awaab's Law is the shorthand for hazard-remedying provisions introduced for social housing by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. Those rules came into force for social landlords on 27 October 2025. The Renters' Rights Act creates powers to extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector, but the timing and exact rules are still subject to government consultation. Treat any specific PRS timeframes you read about as provisional until the regulations are confirmed.
What to do before 1 May 2026
There are only weeks left. Working through this list in order will leave you in the strongest position when the Act takes effect.
1. Document the current condition of every property. Walk every property, photograph every room from multiple angles, and capture any pre-existing defects in detail. Date-stamp the evidence — a structured property inspection report with photo timestamps is significantly stronger evidence than loose mobile phone photos kept in a folder. This baseline becomes useful in disputes about damage, condition, and the state of the property at any specific point in time.
2. Identify which existing tenancies need an Information Sheet. Pull a list of every tenancy in force before 1 May 2026 that has a written or partly written agreement. These are the tenants you must serve the Information Sheet on by 31 May 2026. The official template is already published — download it from gov.uk, set up a delivery system (email or post with proof of delivery), and track which tenants have received it.
3. Identify wholly verbal tenancies separately. Verbal tenancies are not covered by the Information Sheet duty. They have a separate duty for landlords to provide written key terms. If you have any wholly verbal arrangements, work out what statutory information needs to be put in writing and prepare it now.
4. Serve any final Section 21 notices before 30 April 2026 — if you can. If you have an eligible AST you intend to end on no-fault grounds, you must serve the notice on or before 30 April. Note that Section 21 is not available for ASTs that started on or after 1 January 2026 — those tenancies must use Section 8 grounds from the outset. For tenancies where Section 21 is still available, remember the transitional cut-off: you must issue court proceedings within six months of the notice, or by 31 July 2026, whichever comes first. After that, the notice is void and you'll need to start again under the new framework.
5. Update your tenancy agreement templates. Tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026 must follow the new periodic structure. Update your tenancy agreement templates, your written-information packs, and any letting platform listings to reflect the new rules — including the rental bidding ban, the pet request process, and the 12-month protected period for sale/move-in grounds.
6. Prepare a damp and mould response process. Awaab's Law has not yet been formally extended to the PRS, but the direction of travel is clear. Build a documented process now for receiving complaints, investigating them, and recording your response — so you're ready when the regulations are confirmed.
Why timestamped documentation matters under the new framework
Almost every landlord dispute comes down to the same question: what was the condition of the property at a specific point in time? Without contemporaneous evidence, the answer is one party's word against the other's — and that uncertainty is rarely your friend.
There are three places where dated condition records are particularly useful:
Tenant disputes. Deposit disputes, damage claims, and counter-claims about pre-existing defects are decided on the balance of evidence available to deposit protection schemes and the courts. If you have dated photographs from the start of the tenancy, you can rely on them as contemporaneous evidence in those processes.
Council enforcement. Local authority enforcement officers assess the condition of a property at specific dates when investigating complaints or considering civil penalties. If you can produce dated photographs and a written report from the start of the tenancy, you are in a stronger position than if you are relying on memory.
Insurance claims. Landlord insurance claims for tenant damage, water ingress, or fire are easier to settle when you can show what the property looked like beforehand. Check your specific policy for any documentation requirements — they vary by insurer.
The pattern is the same in all three: better records make every conversation easier.
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A quick note: this article is general guidance for landlords in England, not legal advice. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is a major piece of legislation and the detailed regulations are still being published. If you need advice on your own situation, speak to a qualified solicitor or your landlord association.