Most of the Renters Rights Act reforms will come into force on 1 May 2026, are you ready?
With the deadline fast approaching, landlords should double-check exactly what still needs to be done to keep their rental business compliant.
From improving record-keeping to distributing the mandatory government information leaflet, this article explains what’s changing this May and what landlords need to do to prepare.
Renters’ Rights Act: What’s changing in May?
One of the most important things that landlords can do to prepare is read as much information as possible about what is changing this May and why.
With so many changes coming into force at once, getting up to speed now will help you to avoid costly mistakes and protect your reputation as a landlord.
Here’s a quick rundown of the key changes coming into effect this May.
- No more Section 21 evictions
After Section 21 is abolished, landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without a valid reason for doing so. - Section 8 grounds for eviction to be strengthened
Landlords will only be able to regain possession of their property by serving a Section 8 notice and providing a valid reason for eviction. Valid reasons under Section 8 will be expanded to include things like non-payment of rent and antisocial behaviour. - Assured shorthold tenancies to be replaced by periodic tenancies
Assured shorthold or ‘fixed’ tenancies will cease to exist. All tenancies will automatically become periodic ‘rolling’ tenancies. Tenants will be able to give two months’ notice at any time. - Rent increase restrictions to be introduced
Landlords can only increase rent once per year and only to the market rate, tenants will be able to challenge unfair rent increases. - Tenant rights to pet ownership to be strengthened
Tenants will have the right to request a pet, and landlords will only be able to refuse the request if they have a valid reason for doing so. - End of bidding wars
Bidding wars will be banned, and landlords will not be allowed to accept offers above the advertised rent. - Discrimination laws
Landlords will not be allowed to refuse tenants on the basis that they receive benefits or have children.
Do landlords need to update tenants on the new rules?
Yes, you should let tenants know about the new rules as soon as possible. While the Renters’ Rights Act has been widely discussed in the property rental industry, not all tenants are aware of what’s changing. It’s your responsibility to ensure that your tenants are informed about the new rules.
Provide tenants with the government’s ‘Information Sheet’
The government have produced an official information sheet which explains what the new rules are and what they mean for tenants. You can view and download the information sheet here. It helps tenants to understand how tenancies will work moving forward and what their new rights are. It is the landlord’s responsibility to make sure that all existing tenants receive a copy by 31 May 2026.
You can either email the sheet to your tenants or print it out and give them a paper copy. However, you need to be able to prove that you have done so, so emailing it is usually the easiest way to maintain a clear record. Landlords who fail to give this information sheet to their tenants before the cut-off date could receive a fine.
Looking for a simple way to keep track of tenant communications and stay compliant? PaTMa’s Property Manager lets you communicate directly with tenants through a tenant portal, reducing back-and-forth emails and documenting all communications in one safe, central place within your landlord software. Find out more about the PaTMa’s Pro features and pricing here.
Will tenants need a new or updated tenancy agreement from May 2026?
Existing tenants with written agreements
You do not need to provide existing tenants with a new tenancy agreement; however, you do need to make sure you send them the government information sheet before 31 May. Then, any existing terms in their tenancy agreement that conflict with the new laws will automatically become invalid after 1 May.
Tenants with verbal agreements
Prior to the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force, some landlords operated using verbal agreements only. From 1 May 2026, landlords will need to provide written terms for all new tenancies. Any existing verbal tenancy agreements will need to be formalised with a written agreement by 31 May 2026.
New tenants
All new tenants must be provided with an up-to-date written tenancy agreement. The government provides useful guidance online about what written information must be given to tenants. Use this guide to make sure that, going forward, your tenancy agreements comply with the new legal requirements.
Make sure your property ads comply with the new laws
If you are currently advertising a rental property, make sure you review the content of the ad before 1 May 2026 to ensure it reflects the new legal requirements.
Things to look out for include:
- Asking rent: Remember, bidding wars are being banned, and all property ads must include an asking price. Make sure you remove any wording along the lines of “or offers above £X”.
- Upfront rent: After 1 May, you will no longer be able to request or accept more than one month’s rent upfront, and only once all parties have signed the tenancy agreement.
- Discrimination: From 1 May, it will be illegal to discriminate against anyone who receives benefits or has children, so you’ll need to remove any wording that suggests otherwise.
Review your rental business’s policies and procedures
Taking the time to think about how the May reforms could affect your business and making proactive changes to how your business operates now could save you a lot of time, hassle, and potentially money later down the line.
Key areas to review include:
Rent increase procedure
The new restrictions will limit rent increases to once per year and to the market rate only. Tenants will be able to challenge any increases that they believe to be unfair. Landlords will need to become more organised and consistent with scheduling in an annual rent review for each of their properties. PaTMa’s Property Manager can help you track rent for each of your properties and set rent review reminders to stay organised.
Pet policy
Pets are set to become more commonplace in rental properties, so if you don’t yet have a pet policy, now’s a good time to create one! Your policy should outline the process for requesting a pet, what conditions apply, and how you will manage potential risks. Setting clear expectations from the start can help to reduce the risk of future disputes.
Tenant screening procedure
The Renters’ Rights Act will end Section 21 ‘No-Fault Evictions’ and strengthen tenant rights, making it more difficult for landlords to regain possession of their properties. As a result, having a robust tenant screening process will become more important than ever. Many landlords are taking this opportunity to review their screening process to ensure it is thorough, consistent, and asks all the right questions to weed out problem tenants from the start.
Strengthen your record-keeping processes
The reforms being introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act will increase compliance and administrative responsibilities for landlords. Landlords will find themselves under greater scrutiny as tenants gain stronger rights to challenge their practices. As a result, it’s important to get into the habit of keeping clear and comprehensive records that can be used as vital evidence in the event of a dispute or legal action, helping to demonstrate that you have acted fairly.
Landlords should get into the habit of documenting the following:
- Tenant communications.
- Tenancy agreements.
- Notices.
- Property inspections.
- Referencing.
- Due Diligence checks.
Now is a great time to get more organised and start using a specialist all-in-one landlord software like PaTMa’s Property Manager, if you’re not already.
PaTMa’s Property Manager is designed to help landlords streamline their day-to-day operations. From storing tenancy agreements and logging tenant communications to tracking tasks and submitting tax updates digitally, PaTMa offers all the tools you need to make compliance easy.
So, if you’re looking for a simple way to manage your properties under the new rules, sign up for a free trial of PaTMa Property Manager to stay on top of compliance in 2026.
