THE PROPERTY FILTER TAKE
57% of landlords with property in England say the end of fixed-term tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act has had a negative impact (Goodlord survey, August 2026).
Landlords are screening harder: 26% are more likely to reject applicants they once accepted, and 31% are more likely to leave a property empty for a lower-risk tenant.
Consider reviewing your referencing criteria and your void assumptions, so any extra caution is priced into your figures rather than discovered later.
Fixed-term tenancies ended in England on 1 May 2026, and 57% of landlords with property in England say the change has had a negative impact. That figure comes from Goodlord's State of the Lettings Industry Report, reported by Letting Agent Today on 29 October 2026. The same survey shows landlords becoming more cautious about who they let to.
Goodlord surveyed 3,031 respondents in August 2026: 442 letting professionals, 589 landlords and 2,000 tenants. Its questions about the Renters' Rights Act went only to respondents in England: agents based there, landlords with property there and tenants renting there.
What changed for tenancies on 1 May 2026?
Under the Renters' Rights Act, you cannot create an assured tenancy with an end date in England, according to GOV.UK's guide for landlords. Tenancies now run as assured periodic tenancies (rolling tenancies, weekly or monthly, with no fixed end date). Existing assured shorthold tenancies became rolling on 1 May 2026, and landlords did not need to do anything for this to take effect (GOV.UK).
The Act also limits rent in advance. A landlord or agent must not accept, ask for or encourage rent before both sides sign the tenancy agreement, GOV.UK states. Between signing and the start of the tenancy, the usual maximum is one month's rent, or 28 days' rent where rent is not paid monthly. Exceptions cover social or supported housing and tenancies agreed by a council for a legally homeless tenant.
In practice this means an applicant without a guarantor can no longer offer extra rent up front to reassure a landlord. Goodlord's report says its earlier research found some renters did exactly that. Landlords are adapting in other ways too, as we covered in our report on landlords switching to room-only tenancies.
How are landlords choosing tenants now?
Caution is the clearest result. Half of landlords (50%) have become more cautious when selecting new tenants since the Act took effect, Goodlord found. Asked how the rent-in-advance ban changed their approach, 33% are more cautious about applicants with limited UK credit or rental history.
The same proportion, 33%, are more cautious about applicants with poor credit or County Court Judgments (CCJs, court orders to repay a debt). Because of the ban, 26% say they are more likely to reject applicants they would previously have accepted. And 31% are more likely to leave a property empty while they wait for a lower-risk applicant.
That last choice has a price. A void (a period with no tenant paying rent) cuts the income your mortgage relies on. Our free stress test calculator shows how much rental cover a lender expects.
Tenants notice the shift. Among tenants in England who knew about the ban and have looked for a home since, 30% say securing a property got harder or landlords seem more cautious. But 29% say the ban has made renting easier (Goodlord).
What else is weighing on landlords?
Goodlord's landlord survey covers England and Wales. Of those landlords, 27% are shrinking their holdings: 11% have sold at least one property and 16% are trying to sell. Among landlords reducing their portfolios or leaving the sector, 65% cite the Renters' Rights Act as a reason. Meanwhile, 67% of all landlords left their portfolio unchanged over the past 12 months.
The next reform worries them too. 42% of landlords with property in England expect the upcoming landlord database to have a negative impact, against 24% who expect a positive one. Our earlier piece on awareness of the landlord register and other Renters' Rights Act gaps sets out what is coming.
Retention is the other side of the coin. 41% of landlords with property in England are placing greater emphasis on keeping existing tenants. And 22% have bought rent protection insurance (cover that pays the rent if a tenant stops paying). Our property investment strategies hub covers how tenancy choices fit a wider portfolio plan.
Key takeaways
57% of landlords with property in England say the move away from fixed-term tenancies has had a negative impact (Goodlord, August 2026).
26% of landlords are more likely to reject applicants they would previously have accepted because of the rent-in-advance ban.
31% of landlords are more likely to leave a property empty while waiting for a lower-risk applicant.
Since 1 May 2026 in England, the usual maximum rent in advance between signing and the tenancy start is one month, or 28 days where rent is not paid monthly (GOV.UK).
42% of landlords expect the upcoming landlord database to have a negative impact, against 24% expecting a positive one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still offer a fixed-term tenancy in England?
How much rent in advance can a landlord take under the Renters' Rights Act?
Who was surveyed for the State of the Lettings Industry Report?
Are landlords leaving the rental market?
