THE PROPERTY FILTER TAKE
The Renters Rights Act 2026 took effect on 1 May 2026, abolishing no-fault evictions and converting every assured tenancy in England to a rolling periodic agreement.
Landlords who misuse possession grounds face civil penalties of up to £40,000, and rent bidding above the advertised price is now illegal - changing how you list and let properties.
You may wish to review your tenancy agreements, Section 8 possession grounds, and deposit procedures with a letting agent or solicitor before your next let.
The Renters Rights Act 2026 took effect on 1 May 2026. For private landlords in England, this is the biggest change to tenancy law in more than 30 years - and several of the new rules carry financial penalties that can reach £40,000.
Section 21 Is Gone and All Tenancies Are Now Periodic
Section 21 notices - the "no-fault eviction" tool that allowed landlords to end tenancies without giving a reason - are abolished under the Renters Rights Act 2026. From 1 May 2026, every possession claim must be brought under the revised Section 8 framework, citing one of the statutory grounds set out in the Act.
At the same time, the private rented sector moves entirely to assured periodic tenancies (APTs - rolling month-to-month agreements with no fixed end date). Every existing assured and assured shorthold tenancy (AST - a fixed-term agreement that previously gave landlords a natural end point) converted automatically to an APT on 1 May 2026.
In practice this means you cannot simply wait for a fixed term to expire and ask your tenant to leave. You must serve a Section 8 notice citing a valid ground and, in many cases, give more notice than was previously required. For rent arrears, the threshold for the mandatory ground is now three months of arrears, up from two, according to the National Residential Landlords Association.
If you serve a notice relying on a possession ground but a court later finds you could not genuinely have obtained possession, the civil penalty starts at £25,000 and can reach £40,000, according to The Independent Landlord.
Rent Bidding Is Banned and Increases Are Restricted
Landlords and letting agents may no longer accept rent offers above the advertised asking price. If a property is listed at a given rent, that is the rent at which it must be let. Landlords are also prevented from demanding more than one month's rent in advance, and rent cannot be collected before the tenancy is formally signed.
Rent increases from 1 May 2026 must follow the Section 13 process. Landlords must serve a Form 4A notice, giving at least two months' written notice, and increases are capped at open market rent. Tenants can challenge any increase free of charge at the First-tier Tribunal (FTT - an independent panel that decides rent disputes), according to the government's Renters Rights Act Information Sheet 2026. The FTT cannot set a rent higher than the landlord's proposed figure, but it can reduce it.
What Is Still Coming
Not everything changes on 1 May 2026. The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database - a mandatory register requiring landlords to list themselves, their properties, and compliance information - is expected to launch in late 2026, according to Goodlord. Mandatory sign-up to the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman (an independent body for resolving tenant complaints without going to court) does not take effect until 2028.
You must provide tenants with a copy of the government's Renters Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, according to the government's own guidance.
Key takeaways
The Renters Rights Act 2026 took effect on 1 May 2026, abolishing no-fault evictions and converting every assured tenancy in England to a rolling periodic agreement.
Landlords who misuse possession grounds face civil penalties of up to £40,000, and rent bidding above the advertised price is now illegal - changing how you list and let properties.
You may wish to review your tenancy agreements, Section 8 possession grounds, and deposit procedures with a letting agent or solicitor before your next let.
Related Property Filter resources
The Renters Rights Act 2026 took effect on 1 May 2026. For private landlords in England, this is the biggest change to tenancy law in more than 30 years - and several of the new rules carry financial penalties that can reach £40,000.
Section 21 Is Gone and All Tenancies Are Now Periodic
Section 21 notices - the "no-fault eviction" tool that allowed landlords to end tenancies without giving a reason - are abolished under the Renters Rights Act 2026. From 1 May 2026, every possession claim must be brought under the revised Section 8 framework, citing one of the statutory grounds set out in the Act.
At the same time, the private rented sector moves entirely to assured periodic tenancies (APTs - rolling month-to-month agreements with no fixed end date). Every existing assured and assured shorthold tenancy (AST - a fixed-term agreement that previously gave landlords a natural end point) converted automatically to an APT on 1 May 2026.
In practice this means you cannot simply wait for a fixed term to expire and ask your tenant to leave. You must serve a Section 8 notice citing a valid ground and, in many cases, give more notice than was previously required. For rent arrears, the threshold for the mandatory ground is now three months of arrears, up from two, according to the National Residential Landlords Association.
If you serve a notice relying on a possession ground but a court later finds you could not genuinely have obtained possession, the civil penalty starts at £25,000 and can reach £40,000, according to The Independent Landlord.
Rent Bidding Is Banned and Increases Are Restricted
Landlords and letting agents may no longer accept rent offers above the advertised asking price. If a property is listed at a given rent, that is the rent at which it must be let. Landlords are also prevented from demanding more than one month's rent in advance, and rent cannot be collected before the tenancy is formally signed.
Rent increases from 1 May 2026 must follow the Section 13 process. Landlords must serve a Form 4A notice, giving at least two months' written notice, and increases are capped at open market rent. Tenants can challenge any increase free of charge at the First-tier Tribunal (FTT - an independent panel that decides rent disputes), according to the government's Renters Rights Act Information Sheet 2026. The FTT cannot set a rent higher than the landlord's proposed figure, but it can reduce it.
What Is Still Coming
Not everything changes on 1 May 2026. The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database - a mandatory register requiring landlords to list themselves, their properties, and compliance information - is expected to launch in late 2026, according to Goodlord. Mandatory sign-up to the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman (an independent body for resolving tenant complaints without going to court) does not take effect until 2028.
You must provide tenants with a copy of the government's Renters Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, according to the government's own guidance.
Key takeaways
The Renters Rights Act 2026 took effect on 1 May 2026, abolishing no-fault evictions and converting every assured tenancy in England to a rolling periodic agreement.
Landlords who misuse possession grounds face civil penalties of up to £40,000, and rent bidding above the advertised price is now illegal - changing how you list and let properties.
You may wish to review your tenancy agreements, Section 8 possession grounds, and deposit procedures with a letting agent or solicitor before your next let.
