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Renters’ reform in England: What’s happening and when?

The private rented sector in England

The private rented sector was last substantially reformed in the late 1980s. Since then it has grown significantly; 4.7 million households (around 11 million people) rented their home from a private landlord in 2024/25. The sector is now the second largest tenure, comprising 19% of all households. Many more tenants, especially families and older people, rely on the sector for a stable home as well as young professionals and students seeking flexibility.

There are around 2.3 million private landlords in England. The English Private Landlord Survey 2024 found that 45% of all landlords owned one rental property (representing 21% of tenancies), while 17% of landlords owned five or more properties each (representing 49% of tenancies).

Why is reform needed?

The issues with the sector are widely acknowledged, including:

• Limited security of tenure for tenants. Housing insecurity can negatively affect people’s physical and mental health, finances, employment prospects, and ability to form support networks in their local community.

• The private rented sector has a higher proportion of properties that do not meet housing standards than other tenures.

• Private landlords in England are not required to belong to a redress scheme (to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants). Tenants are often left to negotiate with their landlords and enforce their rights through the courts. The court system can be costly and time consuming for both tenants and landlords.

• Landlords have reported problems recovering properties when their tenants behave antisocially or do not pay their rent, and difficulties in accessing information and support to navigate the laws and regulations in the sector.

• There’s evidence that some local authorities are not effectively and consistently enforcing rules around the private rented sector. A lack of robust data and information on the sector is recognised as a key barrier to effective enforcement action.

Renters’ Rights Act 2025

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. The act implements commitments in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto to reform how the private rented sector in England is regulated and give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes.

Many of the act’s provisions replicate those of the 2019 Conservative government’s Renters (Reform) Bill. This bill fell when Parliament was dissolved prior to the July 2024 general election.

What will the act do?

The act includes provisions to:

Reform tenancies

• Abolish assured shorthold tenancies and with them ‘no fault’ evictions under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Instead, private rented sector tenancies will be assured periodic tenancies with no end date. This provides more security for tenants, who will need to provide two months’ notice to end the tenancy.

• Reform and expand the set of lawful reasons (grounds for possession) that landlords can use to reclaim their properties when it’s necessary, while ensuring appropriate safeguards for tenants are in place. To use any of the grounds, landlords will have to give their tenants the required notice period and they may need to prove their reasons for eviction meet the legal requirements in court.

Strengthen tenants’ rights

• Limit rent increases to no more than once per year, requiring landlords to serve a statutory rent increase notice and give at least two months’ notice. Tenants can challenge above-market rent increases through the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

• Prohibit landlords and letting agents from asking tenants to pay rent in advance before they sign their tenancy agreement, and, once an agreement has been signed, from requiring more than one month’s rent before the tenancy starts.

• Prohibit the practice of ‘rental bidding’. Landlords and letting agents are prohibited from inviting, encouraging or accepting offers of rent above the published asking rent for their property.

• Give tenants the right to request to keep a pet, which landlords have to consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

• Make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against prospective tenants who receive benefits or who have children when letting their property.

Create a landlord redress scheme

• Introduce a new ombudsman service for the private rented sector, which all private landlords will be required to join. The service will provide fair, impartial and binding resolutions for tenants’ complaints about their landlord. It will be able to compel landlords to issue an apology, provide information, take remedial action, and/or pay compensation.

Create a private rented sector database

• Create a new private rented sector database to bring together important information for landlords, tenants and local authorities. This will enable:

• tenants to access important information to inform their choices when entering new tenancies and throughout their tenancy
• landlords to understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance
• councils to target enforcement activity where it is most needed

Create a legal standard for property conditions

• Introduce a decent homes standard to the private rented sector and provide local authorities with the power to enforce it. The act will also apply Awaab’s Law to the sector; this means if a home contains serious hazards, landlords will have a set timeline to make it safe and tenants will be able to challenge unsafe conditions.

Expand enforcement powers

• Expand rent repayment orders (court orders requiring a landlord to repay rent to their tenant), including by:

• extending them to new offences
• doubling the maximum penalty
• ensuring repeat offenders have to pay the maximum penalty

• Strengthen local authority enforcement by expanding civil penalties, introducing a package of investigatory powers, and bringing in a new requirement for authorities to report on enforcement activity.  

The government’s Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act (November 2025) provides more detailed information.

When will the act come into force?

Although the act has received Royal Assent, many of the provisions will require further consultation on the details as well as secondary legislation before they can come into force.

The government is implementing the act in three phases:

Phase 1

From 27 December 2025, local authorities have new powers to investigate whether a private landlord or letting agent has broken certain laws. This includes powers to inspect properties, demand documents and access third-party data. The government has published guidance for local authorities on the new investigatory powers (November 2025).

The new tenancy regime, which applies to both new and existing tenancies, came into force on 1 May 2026. From this date assured shorthold tenancies in the private rented sector have converted to assured periodic tenancies with no end date, section 21 evictions have been abolished, and the reformed grounds for possession apply.

Landlords do not need to change or re-issue existing written tenancy agreements. Instead, they must provide tenants by 31 May 2026 with a government ‘information sheet’ which explains the new tenancy rules. For new tenancies that started on or after 1 May 2026, landlords must provide tenants with written information about the key terms of the tenancy.

Transitional provisions mean that if a private landlord served their tenant with a valid section 21 or section 8 eviction notice before 1 May 2026, they must begin court possession proceedings within a specified time.

On 1 May 2026, the act’s provisions relating to rent increases, rent in advance, rental bidding, keeping pets, and discrimination also came into force, alongside measures to strengthen local authority enforcement (for example, through increased financial penalties) and rent repayment orders.

The tenancy reforms will apply to the social rented sector later during phase 2.

Phase 2

From late 2026, the new database for the private rented sector will be rolled out gradually by area. The new ombudsman service will be implemented after the database. The government expects the new service to be ready in 2028.

Phase 3

Phase 3 will focus on raising standards in the private rented sector.

Private landlords will be required to ensure their properties meet:

• an energy performance rating of EPC C (or have a valid exemption) by 1 October 2030; and

• a decent homes standard by 2035.

The government has reviewed the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants. It will also consult on extending Awaab’s law to the private rented sector.

The government’s Renters' Rights Act 2025: Implementation roadmap (November 2025) provides more detailed information about the timeline, including the secondary legislation that will be required.

Preparing for implementation

To prepare for implementation the government has:

• Allocated £60 million to local authorities and published guidance for local authorities to help them fulfil their new duties under the act.

• Published guidance for landlords and letting agents and guidance for tenants to help them prepare for the tenancy (phase 1) reforms.

• Conducted a communications campaign to ensure both landlords and tenants are aware of the reforms.

• Increased funding for Shelter’s expert housing advice line for professionals and volunteers who help clients with housing cases, and continued to fund the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service.

• Provided additional funding for courts and tribunals to handle the additional workload these reforms may generate, including funding for a new digital end-to-end possession service in the county courts.

Constituency casework

Constituents who would like further information about how the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 affects them are advised to read the government guidance, and if necessary seek advice from a suitably qualified professional on their specific circumstances.

Organisations such as the housing charity Shelter and Citizens Advice provide free, independent advice. Local authority housing teams can also offer housing advice and support.

The Commons Library has a briefing on Legal help: where to go and how to pay. 

Anyone at risk of losing their home can get free legal advice through the government’s Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. 

Further information

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Historic protections for renters in action across England, 30 April 2026

MHCLG, Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants, 1 May 2026

MHCLG, Easy read: private renting in England, 1 May 2026

MHCLG, Renters' Rights Act: An overview for landlords, 1 May 2026

MHCLG, Renters' Rights Act 2025: Implementation roadmap, 13 November 2025

MHCLG, Guide to the Renters’ Rights Bill, 6 November 2025

Shelter, What to expect from the Renters' Rights Act, updated November 2025

Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament Research, What does the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 mean for Wales?, 19 November 2025

More detailed information about the legislation, including Commons Library briefing papers and the government’s impact assessment, are available on the parliament.uk website: Renters’ Rights Bill

About the author: Hannah Cromarty is a senior researcher at the House of Commons Library specialising in housing and homelessness.

The Commons Library does not intend the information in this article to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. We have published it to support the work of MPs. You should not rely upon it as legal or professional advice, or as a substitute for it. We do not accept any liability whatsoever for any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein. You should consult a suitably qualified professional if you require specific advice or information. Read our briefing for information about sources of legal advice and help.