In short
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and mainly reforms private renting in England. Its core took effect on 1 May 2026: section 21 “no fault” evictions ended, private assured tenancies became periodic with no end date, rent can rise only once a year through a section 13 notice, and rental bidding and discrimination against renters with children or on benefits became unlawful. The next step is the landlord database, opening region by region from 15 December 2026 according to GOV.UK. The landlord ombudsman, Awaab’s Law for private renters and the Decent Homes Standard are still to come. Social housing tenancies are not yet covered by the tenancy reforms.
Timeline at a glance
| Date | What happened or is planned | Status on 21 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 27 October 2025 | Royal Assent | Done |
| 27 December 2025 | New investigatory powers for councils (SI 2025/1354) | In force |
| 1 May 2026 | Tenancy reform for private renting, bidding ban, discrimination ban, stronger enforcement (SI 2026/421) | In force |
| 31 May 2026 | Deadline for landlords to give existing tenants the government Information Sheet | Passed |
| 22 June 2026 | Council fines of up to £7,000 for category 1 hazards (SI 2026/638) | In force |
| 17 September 2026 | Rules for approving or designating a landlord redress scheme (SI 2026/1033) | In force, but landlords do not yet have to join |
| 15 December 2026 | Landlord database opens in the West Midlands, then region by region | Date announced; the regulations were still in draft on legislation.gov.uk |
| 2027 | Tenancy reforms extended to social housing | Planned (GOV.UK roadmap), no regulations found |
| 2028 | Landlords required to join the ombudsman | Expected (roadmap), no regulations found |
| 2035 | New Decent Homes Standard applies to private and social rented homes | Announced in the January 2026 policy statement; regulations to come |
| No date | Awaab’s Law for private renters | Consultation open until 18 December 2026 |
What is in force since 1 May 2026
The Commencement No. 2 Regulations (SI 2026/421) brought Chapter 1 of Part 1 (tenancy reform) into force on 1 May 2026 “for the purposes of assured tenancies that are not social housing assured tenancies” only, together with the chapters on discrimination and rental bidding. GOV.UK’s guidance and the Act describe these changes:
| Measure | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Periodic tenancies | Most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies. New private tenancies have no end date. An end date written in an agreement no longer applies. |
| Section 21 abolished | A landlord can no longer evict without a reason. Possession needs a ground under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 and, if the tenant stays, a court order. |
| Moving in or selling | Allowed as grounds, but not in the first 12 months of a tenancy, with 4 months’ notice. The home cannot be marketed or re-let for 12 months afterwards. |
| Serious rent arrears (ground 8) | At least 3 months’ arrears (13 weeks if rent is paid weekly or fortnightly) when notice is served and at the hearing; 4 weeks’ notice. |
| Tenant’s notice | 2 months, in writing, given on the rent due date or the day before. |
| Rent increases | Once a year, never in the first 52 weeks, on Form 4A with at least 2 months’ notice. Rent review clauses no longer have effect. A tenant can challenge at the First-tier Tribunal, which cannot set a rent above the landlord’s proposal. See rent increases in the UK. |
| Rent in advance | Nothing may be asked for or accepted before the agreement is signed; after signing, at most 1 month’s rent (28 days for shorter rent periods). |
| Rental bidding | Adverts must state a price. Landlords and agents cannot ask for, encourage or accept offers above it. |
| Children and benefits | Refusing a tenant, or making renting harder, because they have children or receive benefits is unlawful. |
| Pets | A tenant can ask to keep a pet. The roadmap gives the landlord an initial 28 days to decide, and a refusal must have a valid reason. |
| Enforcement | Councils got new powers and a duty to enforce; rent repayment orders extended to superior landlords and up to 2 years of rent. |
GOV.UK’s guide lists civil penalties of up to £7,000 for discrimination and bidding breaches and up to £5,000 for prohibited rent in advance. GOV.UK adds that a court process started before 1 May 2026 can, in some cases, be completed after that date.
These rules apply to private lets in England. GOV.UK says different rules apply to council and housing association tenants, students in halls and lodgers. For day-to-day renting rules, see renting in England.
Other measures already in force
- 27 December 2025: councils’ investigatory powers (entry, documents, information requests), per the roadmap and SI 2025/1354.
- 22 June 2026: councils can fine the responsible person up to £7,000 where a rented home has a category 1 hazard that could reasonably have been removed (SI 2026/638). The same power for “type 1 requirements”, which the Decent Homes Standard will set, is not yet in force.
What has a date: the landlord database
GOV.UK announced on 9 September 2026 that a national landlord registration service will launch on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and reaching other areas over 12 months. Once an area is called, landlords have three months to register, and all landlords actively letting must be registered by 14 November 2027. GOV.UK says registration will be a legal requirement, with a fine for failing to register.
The draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026, laid before Parliament, set this order:
| Region | Regulations apply from |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 |
| East of England | 15 January 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 February 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15 April 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 |
The draft also requires a fee for each property entry and annual renewal. On 21 October 2026, legislation.gov.uk showed these regulations only as a draft, not as made. Treat the dates as announced but check that the final regulations have been made. Registration in the other nations is explained in landlord registration.
What is still waiting for regulations
| Measure | What official sources say |
|---|---|
| Landlord ombudsman | The rules for approving a redress scheme have applied since 17 September 2026. The roadmap expects mandatory membership in 2028, with notice to landlords beforehand. Payotte did not find a scheme approved or designated yet. |
| Social housing | The roadmap plans the tenancy reforms for the social rented sector in 2027. |
| Awaab’s Law (private rented) | Consultation opened on 9 October 2026 and closes on 18 December 2026; it will inform the date. Today, private landlords must still act on category 1 hazards. |
| Decent Homes Standard | The January 2026 policy statement says the new standard will apply from 2035 to social and private rented homes. Legislation and regulations are still to come. |
| No possession without registration | The GOV.UK guide says landlords who are not registered on the database, or have not protected a deposit, will be unable to gain possession except on some grounds. This depends on the database being live. |
| Rent challenges | GOV.UK announced that HMRC’s Valuation Office will take over initial rent decisions. No date; the First-tier Tribunal handles them for now. |
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Housing is devolved, so the Act’s tenancy reforms apply in England only. Only its rules on renters with children or on benefits extend further:
- Scotland: in force on 1 May 2026 (SSI 2026/125). The rest of Scottish renting is governed by the private residential tenancy and the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.
- Wales: in force on 1 June 2026 (Welsh Order 2026 No. 6), alongside the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
- Northern Ireland: the tenancy reforms do not apply; see renting in Northern Ireland.
Which professional to consult
A tenant served with a notice, or a landlord unsure which ground to use, can ask an independent housing adviser or a solicitor specialising in housing law to check the notice and dates. Check yourself that any adviser is regulated. A letting agent manages the tenancy but does not give legal advice on a dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Renters’ Rights Act in force?
Partly. The tenancy reforms for private renting in England have applied since 1 May 2026. The landlord database starts on 15 December 2026, while the ombudsman, Awaab’s Law for private renters and the Decent Homes Standard still need regulations.
Has section 21 been abolished?
Yes, in England, for private assured tenancies, since 1 May 2026. A landlord must now rely on a ground for possession.
Can my landlord still offer a 12-month fixed term?
No. Private assured tenancies in England are periodic since 1 May 2026, and an end date in an agreement no longer applies. The tenant can leave with two months’ notice.
When do landlords have to register on the database?
According to GOV.UK, when their region is called, from 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands, with three months to sign up. All letting landlords must be registered by 14 November 2027. The regulations were still in draft on 21 October 2026.
Does the Renters’ Rights Act apply in Scotland or Wales?
Only its rules against discrimination towards renters with children or on benefits, from 1 May 2026 in Scotland and 1 June 2026 in Wales. Their tenancy rules are their own.
General information drawn from the official sources cited and dated on this page. It is not legal, tax or financial advice: for your own situation, ask a licensed professional.
More guides on renting
- Buy-to-let tax: the mortgage interest restriction (Section 24) and the 2027 property rates
- Holiday lets after the end of the furnished holiday lettings tax regime (UK, April 2025)
- Landlord registration and licensing in the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Minimum EPC rating for a rental property: E today, C by 2030 (England and Wales)
- Private residential tenancy in Scotland: your rights
- Rent a Room Scheme: £7,500 tax-free from a lodger, and the rules
- Rent increases in the UK: how often, how much notice, and how to challenge
- Renting in England: the rules since 1 May 2026
- Renting in Northern Ireland: notice, rent and deposits
- Renting in Wales: occupation contracts explained
- Right to rent checks in England: what landlords must do
- Tenancy deposit protection in the UK, nation by nation
Sources
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/1354 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/421 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/638 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The Private Landlord Redress Schemes (Approval and Designation) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/1033 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- Draft: The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap (GOV.UK) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- Guide to the Renters' Rights Act (GOV.UK) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- Renters' Rights Act overview for tenants (GOV.UK) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters, 9 September 2026 (GOV.UK) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- Extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and to licences: consultation (GOV.UK) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The New Decent Homes Standard: policy statement (GOV.UK) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement) (Wales) Order 2026 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)
- The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2, Transitional Provision and Revocation) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (legislation.gov.uk) (consulted 21 October 2026)