The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – what does it mean for you?

On 27 October 2025, the Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent and became the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. This landmark legislation represents one of the most significant reforms to the private rented sector in England in decades.

Its aim is – to create greater fairness and security for tenants while increasing accountability for landlords.

Although the Act is now law, major measures will be commenced in a phased way; many of the headline changes will be introduced in 2026 but specific commencement dates and secondary regulations (timings, operational detail and some exemptions) are being published separately.

This is the perfect time for landlords to review the changes and to ensure compliance and for tenants to understand their new rights.

Below, we outline the key changes in a simple tenancy timeline from pre-tenancy considerations to ending a tenancy.

Pre-tenancy

• Rent regulation & bidding ban: Landlords must advertise a fixed rent and cannot accept offers above the listed price.
• Rent in advance:  For new tenancies landlords will generally not be able to require more than one month’s rent in advance (or a pro-rata equivalent for shorter rent periods). The Act also restricts pre-tenancy payments; transitional rules apply to existing tenancies.
• Discrimination protections: Landlords cannot refuse applications because a tenant has children or receives benefits.

 Tenancy agreement considerations

• Pet ownership rights: Tenants can request to keep pets. Landlords must respond within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. Landlords should review tenancy agreements to ensure compliance.
• Tenancy duration:  Fixed-term assured tenancies are being replaced by assured periodic tenancies for new tenancies and (subject to commencement rules) existing fixed-terms will convert on the implementation date. The maximum rent period will be one month.

During tenancy

• Rent increases: Limited to once per year with at least two months’ notice.
• Monthly payments only: Quarterly or other intervals are no longer allowed. Rent periods will be capped at one month for new assured periodic tenancies (so clauses requiring quarterly or termly payments will be unenforceable for new tenancies). Transitional arrangements apply to pre-existing contracts.
• Property standards:
  • The Decent Homes Standard – Now applies to the private sector, requiring homes to be free from serious hazards, damp and mould.
  • Awaab’s Law – This brings fixed timeframes for dealing with emergency hazards and significant damp/mould (phase 1 already applies to social landlords and the Act provides powers to extend this to the private sector). Regulations will set the precise timeframes; enforcement powers will apply. The Act does not universally say private-sector landlords must provide alternative accommodation in every case – enforcement and remedies are set out in guidance and regulations and will vary by circumstance.
• Guarantor liability: Guarantors are no longer liable for rent after a tenant’s death.

End of tenancy

• Abolition of Section 21: No-fault evictions are gone as of May 2026.  Landlords must rely on Section 8 grounds, such as:
  • Sale of the property
  • Redevelopment
  • Landlord or family moving in
  • Serious rent arrears or anti-social behaviour

Many grounds now require four months’ notice.

• Notice periods: Eviction notice extended from two weeks to four weeks for certain notice periods. Some possession grounds (e.g. sale, redevelopment, certain mandatory grounds) have new longer notice requirements and in many cases landlords must use Section 8 notices than the old Section 21 form.
• Arrears threshold: Increased from two months to three months.
• Court impact: Courts and practitioners anticipate more contested possession hearings and pressure on Court capacity. The Government says some processes will be supported by digital tools, but the practical impact will depend on roll-out and tribunal capacity.

New landlord obligations

• PRS Ombudsman: Mandatory membership for landlords is introduced Councils can enforce compliance.
• PRS database: Landlords must register themselves and their properties.

Impact on landlords

• Higher compliance burden—tenancy agreements and property standards must meet new requirements.
• Increased penalties—local authorities can impose fines up to £40,000. The tiering will include civil penalties for first offences (e.g. up to c.£7,000) and higher penalties (up to £40,000) for repeat/serious offences or fraudulent information.
• Legal advice is recommended, particularly for possession proceedings.

Impact on tenants

• Greater security through periodic tenancies and the abolition of no-fault evictions.
• Stronger rights to challenge rent increases and property conditions.

How can Morr & Co help?

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is a game-changer for the private rental market. Whether you’re a landlord or tenant, understanding these changes will help you navigate the new landscape with confidence.

Morr & Co advises landlords to review tenancy templates, ensure PRS database/Ombudsman registration readiness and prepare for new repair/standards obligations. Tenants are recommended to check their tenancy start dates if they have questions about transitional effects.

The Government has also produced an implementation guide and further statutory instruments will follow.

The guide can be viewed here

If you have any questions or would like any further information on the content of this article, please do not hesitate to contact our Property Dispute Resolution team on 0333 038 9100 or email info@morrlaw.com and a member of our expert team will get back to you.

Disclaimer
Although correct at the time of publication, the contents of this newsletter/blog are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute, legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article. Please contact us for the latest legal position.