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The Renters Rights Act Explained – Everything you need to know

Name: The Renters Rights Act Explained – Everything you need to know
Brand: Progressive Lets
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By Wayne Beecham | Created on 16th March 2026

The Renters’ Rights Bill has been passed, and the latest reforms to renters’ rights are poised to bring significant changes to the legal landscape for landlords across the UK. However, many landlords and tenants are unaware of what the Renters’ Rights Act actually entails.

renters reform bill when will it become law

Whether you rent out a property in Peterborough, Northampton, Stamford, or Kettering, the new laws will affect you. This article provides an overview of the key points of the new Renters’ Rights Act 2025, highlighting some of the main changes landlords need to know about.

Overview of the Renters’ Rights Act

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is a sweeping reform designed to improve the rights of tenants and enhance the quality of rented housing across the UK. It aims to balance the landlord-tenant relationship by providing tenants with increased security, better property standards, and more reliable rights. However, it also introduces new responsibilities for landlords, so understanding the act’s impact is crucial to avoid legal challenges and penalties.

What Are ASTs and Why This Matters

Assured Shorthold Tenancies or ASTs are tenancies with an initial fixed term agreement, often 12 months. The tenant is committed for this period, though the tenancy will often continue as a periodic tenancy.

The End of Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs)

When ASTs are abolished, all new and existing tenancies will become periodic tenancies. Tenants will be given the right to continue renting until they give 2 months’ notice. This is designed to give renters more stability, and prevent landlords from evicting without good cause.

When Does the Renters’ Rights Act Come Into Force?

The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 but the measures will be rolled out over the coming months and years.

These various Renters’ Rights Act property law changes will be introduced in 3 phases, starting from 1 May 2026.

Government guidance set to be issued in due course. Phase 1 takes place in spring 2026, ending ASTs, Section 21 evictions, limiting rent rises and banning ‘No DSS’ advertisements. At a later point, the PRS Database and ombudsman will come into effect under Phase 2. In Phase 3, Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard will be introduced to the private sector.

The expected timeline for these measures coming into force is as follows:

Section 21 abolished	1 May 2026
All contracts become periodic tenancies	1 May 2026
Anti-discrimination rules introduced	1 May 2026
New rent increases limits	1 May 2026
Ombudsman	2027-2028
PRS Database	2027-2028
Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard	2027 onwards

Key Changes in the Renters’ Rights Act for Peterborough Landlords

Here are the primary components of the bill that Peterborough landlords should be aware of:

1. Abolishment of Section 21: The End of ‘No-Fault’ Evictions

One of the most notable changes under the new act is the abolishment of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. Previously, landlords could use Section 21 notices to evict tenants without providing a specific reason, provided the notice period was adhered to. With the new regulations, how to evict a tenant is changing:

Landlords must now have a legitimate reason, or “ground,” for eviction under a reformed Section 8 notice.

Grounds for eviction under Section 8 are due to be expanded and modified, including for rent arrears, tenant behaviour, or a landlord’s intent to sell the property.

2. Strengthened Grounds for Section 8 Evictions

While Section 21 evictions are being abolished, Section 8 notices remain in place with new, strengthened grounds. This change enables landlords to repossess their property if they have valid, documented reasons. Here are a few situations to be affected:

Serious rent arrears: Landlords can seek repossession if tenants fall behind significantly on rent. However, tenants must be in 3 month’s arrears rather than 2 months before landlords can seek repossession, and the eviction notice itself will be 4 weeks rather than 2 weeks.

Anti-social behaviour: Grounds have been clarified to allow for quicker evictions in cases where tenants engage in disruptive, damaging or criminal behaviours, with proceedings allowed to begin immediately.

Property sales and family use: Landlords can now regain possession if they intend to sell or require the property for a close family member. However, evidence may be required to substantiate these claims. Grounds like this can only be used after 12 months of the tenancy have passed, and after that, 4 months notice must be given to tenants.

The government has outlined detailed guidance on these grounds to ensure they are not misused, so familiarising yourself with these stipulations is essential.

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3. Minimum Property Standards: The Decent Homes Standard

The act introduces a new legal requirement for all privately rented homes to meet the Decent Homes Standard. Under this standard:

Properties must be safe, secure, and free of serious hazards: This includes ensuring that basic facilities such as heating, water, and electricity are functional and maintained.
Repairs must be timely: Landlords are responsible for promptly addressing any issues that arise, such as damp, mould, or broken amenities.
Regular safety inspections: Landlords must ensure that gas, electrical, and fire safety inspections are conducted as required and keep records of these inspections for compliance.

Maintaining these standards will be crucial, as failure to do so could lead to financial penalties or potential bans on renting properties. That said, government studies indicate that a large majority of landlords already have properties that comply with these standards already.

Awaab’s Law Explanation

Set to be extended to the private rented sector as part of Phase 3, Awaab’s Law is expected to be implemented from 2027 onwards. This health and safety law is named after 2-year-old Awaab Ishaak, who died from mould exposure.

It sets strict timeframes for landlords to investigate and fix health hazards including damp and mould. Serious hazards must be attended to within a fixed number of days, with non-compliant landlords risking enforcement action and penalties.

4. Ban on Blanket ‘No DSS’ Policies

The act addresses discrimination by banning landlords from using blanket “No DSS” policies, which prevent tenants who receive housing benefits from renting a property, or likewise, tenants with children. Under this rule:

Landlords are no longer permitted to discriminate against tenants based on their source of income.
Property listings must not include statements like “No DSS” or “No Universal Credit.”

While landlords are not required to accept every tenant, they must assess applicants on individual merit rather than discriminating based on benefits or income type. In essence, affordability is king – alongside any practical or health and safety considerations.

5. New Rules for Rent Increases

The Renters’ Rights Act introduces new regulations surrounding rent increases, aiming to provide tenants with greater financial stability. Key changes include:

Limits on rent increases: Landlords may only increase rent once per year, and tenants must be given two months’ notice using a Section 13 notice.
Dispute process: Tenants who believe a rent increase is excessive can appeal to a tribunal. This tribunal will assess if the proposed rent increase aligns with market rates. At the same time, rent can no longer be backdated from tribunal, and in some cases, the presiding body can delay a rent raise due to tenant hardship.

This rule encourages landlords to consider market conditions before increasing rent and helps tenants manage their housing costs more predictably.

6. Ombudsman Service for Dispute Resolution

The Renters’ Rights Bill introduces a mandatory Ombudsman service for landlords. This service will provide tenants and landlords with an accessible, impartial forum to resolve disputes. For landlords, this means:

A quicker resolution process: Disputes can be resolved under the Ombudsman without going to court, saving time and legal costs. Decisions made by the body are legally binding, and must be followed.
Mandatory participation: All landlords will be required to join the Ombudsman service, with penalties for non-compliance. Landlords will have to pay a fee for this service, though the cost has not yet been disclosed.

This service is expected to increase accountability and transparency, offering a structured resolution process for common tenancy issues. That said, only tenants will be able to use this service to raise issues – so landlords only participate in this passively.

7. Landlord database

Another key aspect of the Renters’ Rights Act, the PRS landlord database, goes live in late 2026 as part of Phase 2. This is meant to act as a centre of accountability and compliance for landlords, tenants and local authorities. Essentially, landlords will need to sign up and register themselves and their properties on the portal. Landlords are expected to pay a fee, likely annual, but the exact fee amount is not yet confirmed.

Then, there will be varying levels of access granted to local authorities and tenants to access this information, for different purposes. Before committing to rent a property, potential tenants will be able a landlord’s compliance history before renting. Tenants will be able to view any actions against the landlord as well as their compliance certificates.

Local authorities will be able to check the portal to chase up landlords and manage any penalties or other actions. They will also be able to issue penalties for non-registration. The PRS Database also comes into play during end-of-tenancy procedures. Landlords must register to use certain Section 8 possession grounds such as eviction to sell the property or move in with family.

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8. Pet Ownership Requests and Rights

The act grants tenants the right to request pet ownership, and landlords must consider these requests fairly. Specifically:

Pet-friendly policies: While landlords may still set reasonable conditions for pet ownership (e.g., pet insurance or specific cleaning requirements), they cannot unreasonably refuse tenants.
Clear response timelines: Landlords are expected to respond to pet requests promptly, providing valid reasons if they decide to deny the request.

At the same time, landlords will not be forced to have pets in their property. The government intends to crystallise the permitted exceptions, hinting at health and safety, space requirements and the allergies of other tenants in a shared building.

Final Thoughts

For Peterborough landlords, adapting to the new Renters’ Rights Act may require some time and effort, but compliance should reduce the reduced legal risks to you. It could also improve tenant relations, and result in higher-quality properties across the rental market – in essence, driving out low-cost, poor-quality competitors.

Talk to us today for advice about how to adapt, and other concerns you may have about your property lets – we can help landlords across the Peterborough area.

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Wayne Beecham

Wayne is East Midland’s answer to property management. His hard work and high standards of service have gained him a fierce reputation within the regional lettings market. He knows what it takes to own and manage a profitable portfolio himself, because he is not only a successful investor and landlord, but co-founder and “hands on” managing director of Progressive Lets.

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