The Renters' Rights Act: What London Landlords Need to Know Now

The biggest change to English tenancy law in a generation is no longer on the horizon — it is here. The main provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, and they apply to existing tenancies, not just new ones. If you let property in London, your tenancy agreements, your possession options and your day-to-day processes all changed on that date, whether you noticed or not. Here is what actually happened, what is still to come, and what to do about it.

What changed on 1 May 2026

On 1 May 2026, almost all assured shorthold tenancies in England automatically converted into open-ended assured periodic tenancies. Fixed terms ceased to exist: there is nothing to renew, and no new fixed-term ASTs can be created. Tenancies simply run month to month until the tenant ends them with notice or the landlord obtains possession through the courts on a specific legal ground. Section 21 — the no-fault notice that underpinned most London possession strategies for thirty years — was abolished on the same date.

• Section 21 no-fault evictions abolished for new and existing tenancies
• All ASTs converted automatically to periodic assured tenancies — no renewal paperwork needed, or possible
• Rent in advance capped: landlords and agents can no longer require more than one month's rent up front
• Rental bidding banned: you must advertise a rent and cannot accept or invite offers above it
• Stronger pet rights: consent cannot be unreasonably refused, and requests need a response within 28 days
• Possession now runs through the reformed Section 8 grounds, including grounds for selling or moving in

The transition window for old Section 21 notices

One transition rule matters urgently. If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, you can still rely on it — but only briefly. The deadline to apply to court for possession is the earlier of six months from service of the notice and three months from commencement, which means 31 July 2026 at the latest. A Section 21 notice sitting in a drawer past that date is worthless. If you are part-way through this process, act now and take advice on the deadline that applies to your notice.

Possession after Section 21: the new reality

Losing Section 21 does not mean losing possession — it means every possession case now needs a ground. The Act reworked the Section 8 grounds: there are routes for serious rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, and new grounds where the landlord intends to sell or move in, though the moving-in and selling grounds come with longer notice periods and cannot be used in the early period of a tenancy. The threshold for the mandatory arrears ground was also raised, so arrears cases need more months owing than before. The practical consequence is that evidence and process now decide outcomes: clean rent records, documented communication and correctly served notices are what win possession cases under the new regime. This is exactly the discipline a professional property manager brings as standard.

Rent increases under the new rules

With fixed terms gone, contractual rent review clauses have gone with them. Rent increases now run through the statutory notice route: broadly, one increase per year with advance notice, and tenants have the right to challenge an increase they consider above market at the First-tier Tribunal. The practical takeaway for London landlords is to support any increase with comparable evidence — local asking rents, recent lets in the block or street — because an increase that reflects the market is far less likely to be referred, and far easier to defend if it is.

Pets, bidding and the new day-to-day

Beyond possession and rent, the Act changes the texture of everyday management. Pet requests now need a considered, written response within 28 days, and consent cannot be unreasonably refused — which means blanket "no pets" policies are finished, and refusals need genuine reasons, such as a headlease that prohibits animals in the building. Advertised rents are now commitments: you must let at the figure you marketed, and inviting or accepting bids above it is unlawful, which puts a premium on pricing correctly the first time rather than letting applicants discover the price for you. And with no fixed terms, tenants can leave on notice (broadly two months) at any point — so tenant retention, always good practice, is now the only mechanism you have for income stability. Responsive maintenance and fair, evidenced rent reviews have quietly become a financial strategy rather than a courtesy.

What is still coming

The 1 May 2026 changes were phase one. The Government's implementation roadmap sets out more: a national private rented sector database, expected to begin rolling out from late 2026, on which landlords will need to register themselves and their properties; a mandatory PRS landlord ombudsman, with sign-up currently indicated for 2028; and, in a later phase, the extension of a modernised Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law — which already applies in social housing — to the private rented sector, with timings subject to consultation. These dates are the Government's stated intentions as of mid-2026 and could move, so treat them as direction of travel rather than gospel, and check GOV.UK before relying on them.

The landlords who struggle under this Act will not be the ones with difficult tenants. They will be the ones with incomplete paperwork.

It is also worth saying plainly: for well-run tenancies, very little changes day to day. Rent arrives, repairs get done, tenants stay. The Act bites at the edges — the marginal applicant, the messy possession, the missed certificate — which is exactly where professional process has always earned its keep.

What London landlords should do now

1. Audit every tenancy: confirm deposits are protected, prescribed information served, and gas, electrical and How to Rent documents are all in order — gaps here can undermine possession claims
2. Update your written processes for rent increases, pet requests (28-day responses) and advertised rents
3. Stop asking for multiple months of rent up front — strengthen referencing and guarantors instead
4. If you served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, check your court deadline today
5. Keep meticulous rent and communication records — they are now your possession evidence
6. Watch for the PRS database launch and register promptly when it opens

The Act rewards exactly the habits good landlords already have: documentation, responsiveness and compliance. Our 2026 compliance checklist covers the full set of obligations in one place, and if you would rather hand the whole regime to a team that manages it every day, talk to us. This guide is general information, not legal advice — rules change and transition details matter, so check current GOV.UK guidance or speak to us about your specific situation.