The Renters’ Rights Act: What UK landlords need to know    

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is reshaping private renting in England. The biggest changes include the end of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and the transition towards open-ended periodic tenancies. Some changes will come into effect in stages as the government publishes commencement dates, so landlords should begin preparing now. 

Below is a clear summary of what’s changing and how to stay compliant. 

Security of tenure and tenancy type 

The Act abolishes assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) and removes Section 21 notices. In their place, most new and existing short-term residential lets will transition to periodic tenancies, which roll on a monthly or weekly basis rather than ending on a fixed date. 

Landlords will only be able to end a tenancy using a statutory ground for possession, and tenants will continue to have flexibility to leave by giving the standard notice for a periodic tenancy. 

What this means for landlords: 

• You can no longer end a tenancy without giving a valid legal reason. 
• All tenancy agreements should be updated to reflect periodic arrangements. 
• Begin reviewing your evidence-gathering processes, as this will be crucial when relying on statutory grounds. 

Grounds for possession 

Under previous rules, landlords could use: 

• Section 21 – ending a tenancy without giving a reason 
• Section 8 – ending a tenancy based on specific legal grounds (e.g., rent arrears, breach of contract) 

With Section 21 removed, the Act strengthens and expands Section 8 possession grounds. These include: 

• Selling the property 
• Persistent and/or serious rent arrears 
• The landlord—or a close family member—moving in 
• Anti-social or criminal behaviour 
• New provisions for student lettings, designed to preserve the academic-year cycle and give student landlords a workable annual turnover model 

Best practice for landlords: 

• Ensure you’re using the correct notice period for the specific ground. 
• Gather detailed evidence (e.g., property marketing when selling; clear incident logs for anti-social behaviour). 
• Keep all communications with tenants clear, factual, and dated. 
• Expect a greater focus on proportionality and fairness at tribunal. 

Rent and affordability 

Rent increases will become more transparent. Automatic or above-market rent review clauses will no longer apply. 

All rent increases must now follow the statutory Section 13 notice process, and tenants can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it exceeds local market rates. 

Practical steps: 

• Benchmark your rents against similar properties in your area and keep copies of comparable listings. 
• Expect greater scrutiny of how often and how much you increase rent. 
• Rent bidding wars are prohibited – all applications must follow the advertised price. 

Standards, redress, and registration 

Property condition will be assessed against a strengthened Decent Homes Standard, building on the obligations created by Awaab’s Law. Landlords must fix serious health and safety hazards—such as damp and mould—within set timeframes and be able to demonstrate proactive maintenance. 

National Ombudsman 

All landlords will need to join the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman. Tenants will have a single route for complaints, and the Ombudsman will be able to make binding decisions, including requiring apologies, mandating repairs, or ordering compensation. 

National landlord register 

Landlords will be required to register each property on a national portal, keeping safety documents and compliance information up to date. Councils will be able to use this database to monitor non-compliance. 

What to do now: 

• Create a simple internal complaints policy. 
• Keep organised digital records of property safety checks, repairs, and communication. 
• Prepare for annual updates to the landlord register once it launches. 

Pets 

Tenants now have a legal right to request a pet, and landlords cannot refuse without a “reasonable” justification. 

You can request reasonable conditions, such as: 

• A professional end-of-tenancy clean 
• The tenant taking out pet-damage insurance (if reasonable and proportionate) 

To prepare: 

• Add a clear, fair pet policy to your tenancy agreements. 
• Respond to pet requests promptly and provide reasons if you refuse. 

Fair access to housing 

Discrimination against people who receive benefits or have children is now explicitly banned. Landlords must apply their affordability and referencing checks consistently and fairly. 

Actions: 

• Remove terms such as “No DSS”, “No Benefits”, “Working professionals only”, or “No children” from all adverts and application materials. 
• Base decisions on objective factors such as income, references, credit history, and ability to pay. 

Enforcement and penalties 

Local councils now have expanded powers to investigate landlords who breach the rules. Penalties—including civil fines and, in severe cases, criminal sanctions—have increased. 

To protect yourself: 

• Keep a comprehensive, dated record of: 
• Repairs and maintenance 
• Property inspections 
• Safety certificates 
• Messages or emails exchanged with tenants 

If a council contacts you: 

• Respond quickly 
• Provide evidence 
• Take immediate action to fix any issues raised 

Doing so will help reduce the risk of enforcement and financial penalties. 

What landlords should do now 

1. Review and update all tenancy agreements. 
2. Prepare for the move to periodic tenancies and grounds-based possession. 
3. Benchmark rents and prepare to justify increases. 
4. Start keeping evidence for any possession ground you may need to rely on. 
5. Create a simple complaints policy ahead of the Ombudsman requirement. 
6. Ensure your property meets the Decent Homes Standard and document maintenance. 
7. Update all adverts to remove banned terms. 
8. Begin organising compliance documents for the national landlord register.