Historic reforms as part of the Renters' Rights Act will kick in from 1 May 2026, benefitting 11 million renters across England.
- Countdown begins for the biggest increase to tenants' rights in a generation
- New protections will also end in-year rent rises, bidding wars and discrimination against families receiving benefits
- Clear timeline will support landlords and letting agents to prepare for these changes
Renting in England will be transformed with a raft of major changes coming into effect from 1 May 2026 for 11 million renters across the country.
Following the Renters' Rights Act - now passed in law - the timeline for implementing these new legal protections has been published today, giving time for landlords and letting agents to deliver these changes for their tenants.
In just under six months, private renters will no longer face being served with a Section 21 'no-fault' eviction notice - a practice leaving thousands vulnerable to homelessness every year. Tenants will be able to appeal excessive above-market rent increases that try to force them out and landlords can no longer unreasonably refuse tenants' requests to have a pet.
Meanwhile landlords will have stronger legally valid reasons to get their properties back when needed - whether that's to move in, sell up or deal with rent arrears or anti-social behaviour - delivering a fairer system for both sides.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:
"We're calling time on no fault evictions and rogue landlords. Everyone should have peace of mind and the security of a roof over their head - the law we've just passed delivers that.
"We're now on a countdown of just months to that law coming in - so good landlords can get ready and bad landlords should clean up their act."
Other changes which come into effect on 1 May will go further to tackle discrimination and financial exploitation, creating a more stable, fairer system for renters. It will become illegal for landlords and letting agents to:
- increase rent prices more than once a year
- ask for more than one month's rent payment in advance
- pit prospective tenants against one another through rental bidding wars
- discriminate against potential tenants, because they receive benefits or have children.
Alongside the implementation timeline setting out when the changes will take effect, the government has also released advance guidance to support landlords and letting agents.
Councils across England will be legally responsible for overseeing these new rights from 1 May 2026, backed by stronger enforcement powers. This includes tougher fines of up to £7,000 for breaches, rising up to £40,000 if they repeatedly or continue to breach the rules or commit a serious offence. Tenants or local authorities will also be able to seek rent repayment orders, forcing landlords to pay back rent for offences.
After the first phase of changes in May, the Renters' Rights Act will come in two further stages, with phase 2 (starting late 2026) introducing:
- The Private Landlord Ombudsman - a free, independent service helping tenants resolve complaints not dealt with by their landlord without going to court.
- A Private Rented Sector Database - a new central online place where all landlords must register themselves and the properties they rent out. It will be rolled out in two stages and the need for landlords to sign up will be staggered by areas across England from late 2026.
More protections to improve conditions in private rented homes will come in phase 3, with public consultations informing their introduction.
This includes introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time so tenants have safe, secure and warm housing. Extending Awaab's Law to the private rented sector will also be consulted on soon, to protect all tenants from dangerous homes.
Alongside the Renters' Rights Act, we will also see an improved Housing Health and Safety Rating System which will better assess health and safety risks in homes and making it more efficient and easier to understand - also supporting work to introduce the Decent Homes Standard to privately rented homes.
And there are also planned new standards to ensure privately rented properties are warmer and cheaper to run. The government has consulted on plans to require all domestic privately rented properties in England and Wales to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) of EPC C or equivalent by 2030 unless a valid exemption is in place.
