Renters’ Rights Act 2025
It’s very exciting and we’re still quite giddy. As Steve Reed, now Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said
“This is an historic moment for renters across the country and we’re proud to deliver it.”
On 27th October, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent and passed into law.
“Our historic Act marks the biggest leap forward in renters’ rights in a generation. We are finally ending the injustice overseen by previous governments that has left millions living in fear of losing their homes…For decades, the scales have been tipped against tenants. Now, we’re levelling the playing field between renters and landlords.”
And Steve Reed went further
“We are tearing down the walls of injustice in the private rented sector and building a future where tenants are protected, respected and empowered.”
- On 1 May 2026, all existing fixed term tenancies will convert into periodic tenancies, running from month to month.
- All new tenancies will be periodic tenancies but new tenancies will be protected for 12 months. This means that the landlord cannot seek possession of your home on the grounds that they wish to move in or sell it for at least 12 months.
- During the ‘protected period’ you’ll have the right to end your tenancy by giving two months notice.
- After the first year, if a landlord wishes to sell your home or to live in it themselves, you’ll be entitled to four months notice. Even then, as now, every landlord will have to follow due legal process; only a court can issue an eviction notice.
- To minimise the risk of landlords abusing the moving in or selling grounds, landlords will not normally be permitted to market or to re-let the property for 12 months after using those grounds to evict.
- From 1 May 2026, landlords will not be able to ask for multiple months rent in advance any more. The maximum rent payable in advance will be one month.
- Landlords will still be able ask for a tenancy deposit equal to the sum of five weeks rent. The deposit money is still yours, though. That’s why your deposit money has to be registered with a protection scheme.
- Rent review clauses in contracts are being outlawed. This means that no landlord will be allowed to raise the rent more than once a year, by issuing a ‘section 13 notice’. You should have no less than two months notice of a new rent taking effect.
- If you think a proposed rent increase is excessive, you can then challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. The Tribunal will determine what the ‘market rent’ should be. The Tribunal will not increase the rent by more than the landlord has asked for and might increase it by a lesser sum (or not at all!) instead.
- The new rent will only apply from the date of the Tribunal determination. In cases of ‘undue hardship, the Tribunal can defer the rent increase by up to two months.
- Landlords and their letting agents will be required to publish an asking rent for their property.
- Landlord (or their agents) will be prohibited from encouraging or accepting any bids above this price.
- Landlords and letting agents will not be able to do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits.
- You’ll be able to complain to the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman Service about landlords’ actions or inactions. If the service agrees that a landlord acted unreasonably or unprofessionally when handling your complaint, the ombudsman will be able to tell the landlord to take (or cease taking) an action; to issue an apology or explanation and; to award compensation. This service is impartial and will be offered to renters free of charge.
But that’s not all. For everything you need to know, perhaps more, the government has published guidance to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
We think The Renters’ Rights Act really is a very good one. But for as long as we’re still skint after paying the rent, surely, there is still more to be done. We now have very good reason to believe that this government wishes to do right by renters. With more than three years in power before the next General Election, the Labour government still has time to take policy steps to protect us from the harsh excesses of greedy landlordism.
Healthy Homes Now
Lord Nigel Crisp sees ‘slums for future’ being built through Permitted Development, the de-regulation of planning. Disease and illness come from bad homes but decent, healthy homes create opportunities. The Healthy Homes Campaign says that if you build a home, it has to be a healthy home.
Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamay is a paediatrician, working in the NHS. He sees patients for whom poor standards of housing are causing several, overlapping health effects. Tragically, it’s increasingly common.
A healthy home is the core of our physical, mental and social well-being. That’s why TCPA are calling on all political parties to establish a statutory duty requiring the built environment sector to protect people from harm and positively promote our health and wellbeing. Please sign the Healthy Homes Pledge