The Renters’ Rights Act, explained for landlords

If you’ve been putting off getting your head round the Renters’ Rights Act, you’re not alone — it’s the biggest change to private renting in England in over 30 years, and it landed in stages rather than all at once. This is the short version: what’s already in force, what it means day to day, and what’s still ahead.

What replaced Section 21

Every ground for possession now has to be a Section 8 ground, meaning you state your reason and, where the ground is contestable, evidence it. The two grounds landlords use most often for planned situations are:

• Ground 1 — you or a close family member intend to move into the property.
• Ground 1A — you intend to sell the property.

Both require four months’ notice, can’t be used in the first 12 months of a new tenancy, and carry a 12-month restriction on re-letting the property afterwards — councils can investigate if a property goes straight back on the market. We’ve written a full breakdown of how these two grounds work in practice, including notice templates and common mistakes, in our Section 21 and Ground 1A guide.

The rent arrears ground also changed: tenants now need to owe three months’ rent (up from two) before it applies, and a new Ground 4A was introduced specifically for student housing with fixed academic-year lets.

Tenancies are now periodic by default

Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies no longer exist for new lettings. Every tenancy runs on a rolling, periodic basis from the start — there’s no 6- or 12-month term to negotiate around. Tenants can leave with two months’ notice at any point; landlords can only end things through a Section 8 ground.

Rent increases go through a formal process

You can no longer raise rent mid-tenancy through a rent review clause. Increases now have to go through a Section 13 notice (Form 4), given at least two months before the new rent takes effect, and limited to once a year. If a tenant thinks the increase is above market rate, they can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal without it costing them anything to apply — and the Tribunal can only set the rent at or below what you asked for, never above.

Other changes already in force

• No more bidding wars — a property has to be let at (or below) its advertised price; landlords can no longer invite or accept offers above the listed rent.
• Rent in advance is capped at one month — you can no longer ask for six or twelve months upfront to secure a tenancy.
• Blanket “no DSS” or “no children” policies are prohibited — every applicant has to be assessed individually.
• Tenants have a right to request a pet, which you can’t unreasonably refuse. You have 28 days to respond, and a valid refusal has to be about the property or a superior lease, not a blanket policy.

What’s still coming

The database is the one worth watching closest if you’re not already NRLA-registered: it will ask for your contact details, property information, and proof of current safety compliance (Gas Safety Certificate, EICR, EPC), so it’s worth having those documents current and to hand now rather than scrambling later.

What this means in practice

None of this makes letting a property harder in a way that matters if you’re already running things properly — documented compliance, individual tenant assessment, genuine grounds for possession. What it does is remove the shortcut of an unexplained Section 21 notice, which means the relationship with your tenant now matters more, not less. A tenant with a real reason to stay and take care of the property is worth more under this Act than it was under the last one.