Renters' Rights Act 2025: What Changes on 1 May 2026

For the first time in a generation, the balance of power in the English private rented sector is shifting. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent last year, and its most significant provisions come into force on 1 May 2026 — just days from now. If you rent privately in England, here is exactly what changes and what you should do before the date arrives.

Section 21 is abolished — what that actually means

Since the Housing Act 1988, landlords in England could serve a Section 21 notice to end a tenancy without giving any reason at all. From 1 May 2026, that power disappears entirely.

Your landlord can now only ask you to leave if they have a specific legal ground under Section 8 of the Housing Act — for example, serious rent arrears, a material breach of your tenancy agreement, or the landlord needing to sell the property or move into it themselves. Crucially, they must prove the ground to a court. A landlord who simply wants you out without cause no longer has a legal mechanism to achieve that.

All existing tenancies — including those currently in a fixed term — will be converted to periodic (rolling) tenancies from 1 May 2026. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are abolished. Your tenancy rolls forward monthly unless you choose to leave (two months' notice) or your landlord successfully proves a Section 8 ground.

Awaab's Law now applies to your landlord

Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 from prolonged exposure to black mould in his family's social housing flat in Rochdale. The law originally applied only to social landlords. From 1 May 2026, it applies to the entire private rented sector in England.

Under the new rules, your landlord must:

• Investigate any reported hazardous condition — damp, mould, excess cold — within 14 days of you formally notifying them
• Begin emergency repairs within 7 days if the hazard is confirmed as serious
• Complete all repairs within a reasonable timeframe, documented in writing

Failure to comply is a breach of the tenancy agreement and grounds for escalation to the new PRS Ombudsman or a housing tribunal. A photograph taken now — before you notify your landlord — is the strongest evidence you can have.

The PRS Landlord Ombudsman is now mandatory

Every private landlord in England must be registered with the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman. This gives you a free, independent complaints route if your landlord fails to meet their obligations — without needing to go to court.

If your landlord is not registered, they are breaking the law from 1 May 2026. You can report an unregistered landlord to your local council's housing enforcement team, who have powers to impose a civil penalty of up to £5,000.

New rules on rent increases

From 1 May 2026, landlords in England may only raise your rent once every 12 months, and they must use the formal Section 13 process to do so — giving you at least two months' written notice and access to a tribunal if you think the proposed increase is above market rate.

Demanding more than one month's rent in advance is now banned. Landlords and agents can no longer accept rental offers above the advertised asking price — the listing price is the ceiling. Rental bidding wars are over.

The right to keep a pet

Your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse a written request to keep a pet in your home. They can ask you to take out pet damage insurance as a condition, but a blanket "no pets" clause in your tenancy agreement is no longer enforceable from 1 May 2026. If your landlord refuses, they must give a reason in writing — and you can challenge an unreasonable refusal through the Ombudsman.

What should renters do right now?

• Document existing repair issues immediately. Photograph any damp, mould, broken fixtures, or structural problems today — before you notify your landlord. The photograph timestamp is evidence.
• Use SpotIt to get a formal assessment. Upload your photos, get an AI legal assessment, and generate a complaint letter citing the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Send it before 1 May so your landlord is already on notice when Awaab's Law kicks in.
• Check if your landlord is registered. From 1 May, they must be on the PRS Ombudsman register. If they are not, you have a report to make.
• If you have received a Section 21 notice dated before 1 May 2026, seek urgent advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice. Transitional provisions mean some notices served in the immediate run-up may still carry legal weight — you need to understand your position.