Renters Rights Act.

The rainy Bank Holiday in May brought a sunny beginning for the rental sector. The government has brought in new legislation to make significant and historic changes to the private rental sector. These changes have been anticipated and awaited for years, and have been appreciated by tenants around the country.

The changes will bring more security and stability for tenants. The landlords will not be able to serve notice of eviction on tenants without a legal reason being provided from the government’s approved list, also known as a Section 8 Notice. Tenants can also challenge any extortionate increase in rents which do not align with market rentals. This will positively make a different to how tenants view rental agreements which provide them long term reliability for their families.

The tenancies will now be fixed term which means that tenants will be able to continue living at the rental property until they make the decision to end the rental agreement. This is known as a periodic tenancy, which works on the basis of a rolling contract. It will provide more flexibility to tenants whereby they will have the security of a rolling contract that they can end when it suits them, and they cannot be evicted without a justifiable reason and notice period.

Tenants will be required to serve two months’ notice on the landlords. The reforms will also benefit the landlords as they’ll be able to recover their property by serving a reasonable notice on the tenants, therefore giving tenants sufficient time to find alternative accommodation which, this avoiding lengthy and costly possession proceedings.
The reforms will also ensure that landlords maintain their properties. The tenants will have more confidence in raising issues with landlords for maintenance and repairs required to the properties. There are millions of tenants who currently live in fear that complaining to a landlord can result in an immediate eviction.

Landlords will now also be required to provide a written document containing the key terms and obligations involved with the tenancy. This will help set the expectations for both the landlord and the tenant and will help avoid any future disputes. It will also give an opportunity for both parties to raise any concerns that they have or considerations they may require. A written agreement will benefit both the landlords and tenants across the country and will ensure that private rental agreements are governed in a structured and fair manner.

The reforms have also introduced a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman. The role of the Ombudsman will be to provide fair and impartial suggestions and resolutions to the tenants. This will assist social housing tenants more than private tenants. It will also help reduce concerns or grievances that tenants may have with their landlords.

It will be positive news for tenants now as they can contractually request to keep a pet at the property. The landlords will have an obligation to consider all such requests and cannot deny the request without having any reasonable grounds. Landlords can also not charge rent before the tenancy agreement has been signed, which will help avoid exploitation of tenants across the country.

The good news is that the new reforms apply to most tenancies and there are no formal needs to turn an existing tenancy into the new periodic tenancy, except in cases where tenants have already been serviced with a Section 21 or Section 8 Notice prior to 1 May 2026.

And finally, landlords will be expected to maintain their homes to a suitable standard under the new Decent Homes Standard and there are expectations set for timeframes in which the changes should be made, called the Awaab’s Law.

These changes have been requested by tenants for a few decades now, but they will also provide much better guidance and security for landlords to ensure they can manage their tenancies and better protect their properties. If you require any information about the new reforms, then please do not hesitate to contact us.