Renters Rights Act

The Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, marking the most significant overhaul of renters’ rights in decades. With this law, 11 million renters gained stronger protections, fundamentally changing the landscape of the private rented sector.

Prior to the act, tenants faced constant uncertainty. No-fault evictions allowed landlords to terminate tenancies without justification, leaving many renters vulnerable. Chelsea Phillips, Acorn national chair, noted, “For too long, renters have lived with the constant threat of eviction and rising rents.” This sentiment propelled a decade-long movement advocating for substantial change.

On that pivotal day in May 2026, Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished. This meant landlords could no longer evict tenants without valid reasons. The act introduced rolling tenancies, allowing agreements to continue on a month-to-month or week-to-week basis. This flexibility provides renters with much-needed housing stability.

Additionally, the new legislation imposed strict rules on rent increases. Landlords can now raise rent only once a year and must adhere to the advertised rent price, eliminating bidding wars that had plagued many rental markets. Tenants also gained the right to challenge unfair rent hikes—a critical empowerment for those struggling to afford housing.

Landlords now bear increased responsibilities. They can charge a maximum of one month’s rent upfront and must consider requests from tenants wishing to keep pets. Furthermore, discrimination against tenants based on benefits or having children is now illegal—a significant step towards equality in housing access.

Still, some concerns linger among landlords about how these changes will play out in practice. Tom Goodman, managing director at Goodlord, remarked, “The Renters’ Rights Act aims to improve outcomes for tenants, but these findings show the scale of concern among landlords about how the changes will work in practice.”

As the dust settles on this transformative legislation, a new Private Rented Sector Database will register all landlords and rental properties in England—an initiative expected to enhance accountability and transparency within the sector.

The government plans further improvements as part of Phase 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act later in 2026. This phase will introduce additional measures like a free complaints service aimed at protecting tenant rights even more robustly.