Renters Rights Act 2025: Complete Landlord Guide

Renters Rights Act 2025: the key changes for landlords

The Renters Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent and came into force for England. It applies to all assured and assured shorthold tenancies. The main changes are summarised below, with each covered in detail in the sections that follow.

End of Section 21: what landlords must do instead

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 previously allowed landlords to end an assured shorthold tenancy without giving any reason, provided proper notice was served. This power is abolished under the Renters Rights Act 2025 for all tenancies in England.

To end a tenancy, landlords must now serve a Section 8 notice and establish at least one ground in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. Key grounds available to landlords include:

• Ground 1 (landlord moving in):the landlord or a close family member intends to occupy the property as their only or principal home. At least 4 months' notice is required. Evidence of the genuine intention to occupy is needed to satisfy the court.
• Ground 1A (landlord selling):the landlord intends to sell the property. At least 4 months' notice. The landlord must genuinely intend to sell; simply listing the property with an agent while the tenant remains is not sufficient.
• Ground 8 (serious rent arrears):the tenant owes at least two months' rent both when the notice is served and at the date of the hearing. This is a mandatory ground; if the arrears condition is met, the court must grant possession. However, if the tenant pays down the arrears to below two months before the hearing, the ground fails.
• Ground 14 (antisocial behaviour): the tenant has caused or is likely to cause nuisance or annoyance to neighbours. A discretionary ground; the court weighs the evidence.

The abolition of Section 21 substantially changes the risk profile of letting property. Landlords now face greater legal costs and longer timescales to regain possession where a tenant refuses to leave voluntarily. Building a clear paper trail of rent payments, communications, and property condition throughout the tenancy becomes more important than ever.

This article covers the legislative position. For possession proceedings advice specific to your situation, consult a qualified solicitor or the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

Periodic tenancies: how the new system works

Under the Renters Rights Act, fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are abolished for new tenancies. Existing fixed-term tenancies are converted to periodic tenancies when they expire or on a prescribed transition date. All tenancies are now rolling monthly (or weekly if rent is paid weekly) by default.

Key implications for landlords:

• Tenants can leave with two months' notice at any point after the first six months of a tenancy. There is no minimum fixed term to anchor the tenant to the property.
• Landlords cannot use a fixed-term expiry as a trigger to end a tenancy. Every tenancy continues until either the tenant serves notice or the landlord successfully pursues a Section 8 ground.
• Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements must comply with the new annual increase limitation: rent can only be increased once per year, and the tenant has the right to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) if they consider it above market rate.

Decent Homes Standard extended to the private rented sector

The Decent Homes Standard — previously applicable only to social housing — is extended to privately rented properties in England under the Renters Rights Act. A decent home must:

• Meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing (be free from Category 1 hazards as assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System).
• Be in a reasonable state of repair (structurally stable, weathertight, with components not reaching the end of their useful lives).
• Have reasonably modern facilities and services (kitchen, bathroom, and heating systems not excessively old).
• Provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort (adequate insulation and an efficient heating system).

Local authorities gain new powers to enforce the Decent Homes Standard against private landlords, including civil financial penalties. Landlords whose properties fall below the standard and who fail to carry out required works face penalties and potential rent repayment orders. The standard intersects directly with the proposed EPC C requirements discussed in our EPC rating C by 2030 guide.

Awaab's Law extended to private landlords

Awaab's Law — named after Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in a social housing property — was originally introduced for social housing landlords under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. The Renters Rights Act extends equivalent provisions to the private rented sector.

Under the extended provisions, private landlords must:

• Investigate a reported hazard (such as damp, mould, or structural defects) within a prescribed timeframe after a tenant's written complaint.
• Begin repair work within a specified number of days where a hazard is confirmed.
• Complete emergency repairs — those posing an immediate risk to health or safety — within 24 hours of the report.

The exact timeframes are set by secondary legislation. Tenants can bring a claim against a landlord who fails to meet these timescales, and courts can award compensation and order works to be carried out. Landlords who repeatedly fail to comply face civil financial penalties from local authorities.

The practical implication: every written maintenance complaint from a tenant must be acknowledged and acted upon within the prescribed timeframes. Maintain a written log of all tenant communications and works carried out. Repair costs are allowable expenses for SA105 purposes; keeping clear records also supports your tax categorisation.

Mandatory landlord redress scheme

The Renters Rights Act requires all private landlords in England to join an approved landlord redress scheme. Redress schemes provide tenants with an independent, low-cost route to resolve disputes about maintenance, deposits, fees, and landlord conduct without going to court.

Landlords who are not members of an approved scheme, or who fail to comply with a redress scheme's determination, face civil financial penalties. The Government will designate approved schemes; landlords should monitor gov.uk/government/collections/renters-reform for the list of approved schemes once published.

Private Rented Sector Database: the new Property Portal

The Renters Rights Act establishes a new Private Rented Sector Database — commonly called the Property Portal — on which landlords must register:

• Themselves as landlords (name, contact details, other properties).
• Each rental property they own (address, EPC rating, council tax band, and other prescribed information).

Operating as a private landlord without being registered on the database is a criminal offence. Agents acting for unregistered landlords also commit an offence if they knew the landlord was unregistered. The database is designed to give local authorities enforcement intelligence and to help tenants verify their landlord's compliance status before signing a tenancy agreement.

The registration process and portal launch date will be published on gov.uk. Landlords should register as soon as the portal opens to avoid falling into non-compliance.

Tax and MTD implications of the Renters Rights Act

The Renters Rights Act is primarily landlord-tenant legislation, not tax legislation. However, it has indirect tax implications worth noting:

• Redress scheme and database fees paid by landlords are likely to be allowable property expenses deductible against rental income under SA105 (subject to HMRC confirmation once the fees are known).
• Increased maintenance and repair costsdriven by Awaab's Law compliance and the Decent Homes Standard are allowable revenue expenses, provided the works constitute repairs rather than improvements.
• Legal and professional costsincurred in Section 8 possession proceedings — solicitor fees, court fees — are allowable property expenses under HMRC's guidance at PIM2220.
• MTD quarterly submissions will need to capture these new categories of expense correctly. LandlordTaxAi categorises legal costs, maintenance costs, and landlord fees to the correct SA105 boxes automatically.

For a full overview of your MTD obligations from April 2026, use our MTD readiness checker and read our MTD for landlords guide.

Frequently asked questions