Why This Act Matters

For years, renters have faced insecurity, sudden evictions, and poor housing standards. The new legislation addresses these issues head-on, balancing tenant protections with clear rules for landlords. It’s not just a tweak—it’s a complete overhaul of tenancy law.

Key Changes Under the Act

1. End of ‘No-Fault’ Evictions

Section 21 evictions—where landlords could remove tenants without giving a reason—will be abolished. From 1 May 2026, landlords must rely on legitimate grounds under Section 8, such as rent arrears or anti-social behaviour. This gives tenants greater security and stability.

If the tenants fall into rent arrears, from 1 May 2026 the tenant will need to owe four months rent or more before a landlord is able to serve a Notice Seeking Possession. This is currently two months or more. 

The notice period is also being extended for rent arrears from the current two weeks notice to four weeks notice before being able to issue Court proceedings.

2. Goodbye Fixed-Term Tenancies

Traditional Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) will be replaced by Assured Periodic Tenancies. Tenancies will roll on indefinitely, allowing tenants to leave with two months’ notice, while landlords can only end them on specific legal grounds and by giving four months’ notice.

3. Fairer Rent Rules

• Rent increases limited to once per year.
• Landlords must give two months’ notice before any increase.
• Tenants can challenge unfair hikes through the First-tier Tribunal.

4. Ban on Rental Bidding & Advance Payments

Landlords and agents cannot encourage bidding wars or request more than one month’s rent in advance.

5. Stronger Tenant Rights

• Pets: Tenants can request to keep pets; landlords must respond within 28 days and provide valid reasons if refusing.
• Anti-Discrimination: It’s now illegal to discriminate against renters with children or those receiving benefits.

6. Raising Standards

The Decent Homes Standard, previously for social housing, will extend to private rentals. Properties must meet minimum safety, repair, and energy efficiency benchmarks.

7. Private Rented Sector Database and Landlord Ombudsman

In Late 2026, the Government will launch the Private Rented Database and Landlord Ombudsman. Joining the database and ombudsman scheme is mandatory for landlords and landlords with multiple properties will need to register each property. There will also be a small fee which is expected to reflect the cost of running the service.

Failure to register for these could amount to but not limited to a Civil penalty being issued by the Local Authority, a fine of up to £5,000, the inability to get a possession order, except if possession is sought or tenant anti-social behaviour.

Implementation Timeline

• 27 Dec 2025: Councils gain new investigatory powers.
• 1 May 2026: Major tenancy reforms take effect (abolition of Section 21, periodic tenancies, rent rules).
• Late 2026: Launch of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database and Landlord Ombudsman.
• 2035–2037: Full rollout of the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law provisions.

Impact on Landlords

Landlords will need to:

• Prepare for stricter compliance checks.
• Budget for property upgrades to meet new standards. Failure to comply could result in fines up to £40,000 for serious breaches.

Impact on Tenants

Tenants gain:

• Greater security and flexibility.
• Protection from unfair rent hikes.
• Safer, better-quality homes. This Act is a game-changer for the 11 million renters in England.

At BTTJ Solicitors we offer a full range of legal services for both residential landlords and tenants.

If you are a residential landlord, we can help you with a wide range of legal services, necessary to ensure the successful running of your rental properties. And you are a tenant and need legal advice regarding renting your home, our specialist lawyers will be able to help you. Contact our expert team for legal support today.

Article written by Litigation Assistant & Landlord Tenant specialist Martin Large

The post The Renters Rights Act 2025: What It Means for Landlords and Tenants appeared first on Brindley Twist Tafft & James.

Martin joined BTTJ in July 2025 as a Litigation Assistant.

He started his legal career in October 2019, working for a local firm in Kenilworth within Family Law. Martin moved into Civil Litigation in 2021 & has worked at another local law firm before joining us.

Martin mainly deals with Landlord and Tenant matters alongside Debt Recovery, but can also assist with all Civil Litigation matters.

Martin is currently working towards becoming a CILEx Paralegal with CILEx Law School and is an Affiliate Member of The Chartered Institute Of Legal Executives.

Welcome to the firm Martin, from all at BTTJ!

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The government are proposing several changes to the private rental sector which will see Section 21 Notices being abolished, the introduction of ‘Awaab’s Law’ to enable tenants to challenge dangerous living conditions, the introduction of a ‘Decent Homes Standard’ and much more.

At present, a landlord can, subject to compliance with statutory requirements, serve a Section 21 Notice with a view to regaining possession of their rented property without the tenant being at fault. The proposed legislation will ban no fault evictions for new and existing tenancies requiring landlords to provide a valid cause to end a tenancy.

The Renters’ Rights Bill also aims to put an end to bad practices such as landlords and letting agents forcing bidding wars to drive up rents and mid-tenancy rent increases.

Landlords and letting agents will be legally required to publish an asking rent for their property and will be banned from asking for, encouraging or accepting any bids above this price and will only be allowed to raise the rent once a year, to market rate.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will also make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants in receipt of benefits or those with children.

The Bill is also expected to allow tenants to end rental agreements with just two months’ notice from the first day they move in.

Tenants will still be at risk of eviction if they do not pay their rent, cause serious damage or engage in antisocial behaviour and landlords will be able to take possession if they want to sell the property or move in.

The ban could come into force as soon as next summer.

If you are a landlord, letting agent or tenant who requires advice or assistance regarding your rental property, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our Residential Landlord Services team.

Article written by Litigation Solicitor, Lauren Robinson.

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Izzy has previous experience working as a Conveyancing Paralegal at a local firm. She completed her Law degree at Coventry University.

A warm welcome to the team Izzy, from all at BTTJ!

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We understand this is a current problem faced by landlords, and fraudulent tenancy agreements are being produced necessitating the need for a Court Order to remove the occupiers.

If you find yourself faced with this problem, please contact our experienced team today who will be happy to assist you in regaining possession of your property.

We are experts in Residential Landlord Services understand the importance and urgency of such matters and are here to help.

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The Renters Reform Bill will abolish the Section 21 Notice which allows a landlord to evict tenants at the end of a fixed term without good reason.

The changes to the law – designed to protect the UK’s 11 million tenants and provide them with safer, fairer and higher quality homes – will bring in greater restrictions on landlords whose reasons for wanting to evict their tenants do not meet a certain criteria.

The Bill is currently going through Parliament and is expected to become law next year.

The new laws were designed to crack down on no-fault evictions.

The main change is that a landlord cannot ask a tenant to leave if, for example, they want to move a friend into their property, or if for any reason they just don’t like them.

The only way they can evict their tenants who are “not at fault”, is if they want to live there themselves, or move an immediate family member in, or if they want to sell the property. Even then, it will not be a quick process, because, if a landlord wishes to move into the property themselves, they cannot serve notice within the first 6 months of the tenancy.

The changes will also allow tenancies to roll month by month meaning landlords who previously were entitled to six or 12 months’ tenancies will now be periodic and determined by the frequency that rent is paid. This gives tenants much more flexibility, and removes the security for landlords knowing they have a tenant in situ for 6/12 months.

The reforms will give more rights to tenants who want to keep pets too. Under current legislation a blanket ban on all pets is allowed. Most landlords take advantage of the ban for fear of potential damage caused by the animals to the property.

Under new proposals, still be discussed, a tenant has the right to request to keep a pet and the landlord will have no right to refuse the request without good reason. However, they may ask their tenant to cover pet insurance and home insurance to cover any damage.

Tenants who fall behind with the rent or who are causing anti-social behaviour are not protected by the laws and may still be evicted by their landlord in the usual way under the section 8 notice regime.

The new reforms will give tenants more protection but restricts what landlords can do with their own properties.

There are expected to be some exceptions such as private student lets, though this is yet to be confirmed.

If you are a Residential Landlord looking for advice on this issue or any other, please get in touch with our expert team.

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It is understood that bailiffs are being required to carry the correct PPE before completing evictions, which means a huge reduction in case load.

One of the bailiff companies involved have said that they are running a “skeleton” service until normal service resumes, which means that if a landlord wants to evict a tenant quickly, they will have to transfer to the High Court which is considerably more expensive.

One of London’s main courts, the Central London Court have said that bailiff appointments have been suspended for the near future.

This is an even bigger setback for landlords who are not only having to deal with the upcoming changes in legislation to evict tenants but are now being faced with extensive delays and expense to evict a tenant- particularly if that tenant is not paying rent!

It is not known whether this is affecting other courts at present, but it would not be surprising if this trickled down to the other courts in due course.

If you are a landlord who needs assistance with evicting a tenant, or requires advice , please do not hesitate to contact our expert team.

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The Renters Reform Bill is currently passing through Parliament, which was in local news this week, regarding the changes to section 21 notices. The legislation aims to help 11 million tenants benefit from safer, fairer and higher quality homes, which will also empower tenants to challenge poor landlords without fear of losing their home.

The exact changes to the eviction process are yet to be confirmed, but they likely mean that landlords will only be able to serve notice on tenants in specific circumstances, such as instances of anti-social behaviour or when they wish to sell the property or when they or a close family member want to move in, after six months.

The bill also makes it easier for landlords to repossess their properties in cases of anti-social behaviour or where the tenant repeatedly fails to pay rent.

What happens next?

The bill will need to pass through parliament before becoming law. 

With the government’s proposals now revealed, it will start its journey through the House of Commons and House of Lords, before receiving Royal Assent which is when it formally passes into law.

This process will likely take months, so the reforms may not be implemented until 2024.

Please contact us to discuss our full range of Landlord Legal Services and see how we can help.

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However, the Renters Reform Bill which has been discussed in Parliament since 2019 is being implemented to ensure renters are treated fairly and can allow tenants to treat their house as their home.

One of the proposals allows a tenant to request a pet, which the landlord must consider and not unreasonably refuse. If the landlord refuses consent, they need to provide good reason.

Landlords, quite rightly are concerned about pets causing damage, and so for reassurance, a landlord can , if permission is granted, require the tenant to either take out pet insurance or home insurance to cover any damage caused by the pet. There is however some uncertainty as to how this will work in practice.

The Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill proposes the following:

• An outlaw on blanket bans and will enable tenants to live with pets
• Owners of the pets must obtain a certificate of responsible animal guardianship
• Dogs must be vaccinated and microchipped
• Dogs must respond to commands by owners

A landlord can refuse if:

• The tenant doesn’t have a vet’s certificate
• The owner is unable to responsibly care for the pet
• The welfare of the animal is threatened by keeping it in the property
• The animal is in danger or causes a private nuisance to others in the vicinity
• If they hold a certificate of exemption

There are however quite a number of uncertainties such as:

• Whether it applies to multiple pets or just one.
• What would be required for a landlord’s refusal to be considered unreasonable?
• What process if required for the landlord’s refusal and tenant’s challenge to that refusal. For example, will there be a formal process to follow?
• Will the landlord have a wide range of power to force the tenants to get pet insurance?
• Its also not clear as to how the new legislation will interact with any leasehold restrictive covenants regarding pet bans.

The proposed changes will be welcoming for tenants who wish to have a pet in their family home. It will also grow the rental market, and landlords may get more interest in their property if they allow tenants to keep a pet. On the other hand, though, landlords will be concerned about damage to their property, and also how the proposals will work in reality.

When will the changes apply?

The removal of the blanket ban will only apply to tenancies after the Renters Reform Bill is published. All existing agreements will not be affected by the change, until the fixed term becomes periodic, or a new tenancy is entered.

When will the Renters Reform Bill be introduced?

There have been many delays on the publication of this bill since 2019 and this has been put down to covid, and parliamentary changes. However, the bill is a certainty, and some think it will be released in late 2023.

If you would like us to review your tenancy agreements and ensure that you are up to date with the legislation changes when they are announced, or have any questions arising from this, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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In some cases, residential landlords have decided to sell their rental properties. In a large number of transactions, the sale of the property is subject to vacant possession i.e. no tenants in the property.

What happens when your are thinking of selling your rental property but you have tenants living there?

Evicting your tenant

In ending an assured shorthold tenancy, notice periods apply. A Section 21 Notice (commonly known as a no-fault eviction) requires 2 months’ notice to the tenant. Other types of notice offer differing notice periods depending on the circumstances.

Should the tenant not surrender the property by the end of the notice period. Possession proceedings would be necessary, and it is difficult to predict how long it would take to obtain a possession order, especially if the case becomes defended.

It is necessary to keep this in mind when considering selling your property.

Where possible, informing your tenant of your intention to sell the property and then serving a notice to end a tenancy as you place the property on the market may start the process sooner and assist you in avoiding delays to the completion of your sale.

Residential Landlord thinking of selling your rental property? Contact us to discuss our full range of Landlord Legal Services and see how we can help.

Article written by Conveyancing Solicitor Mark Cooper

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