The legislation was introduced during the King’s Speech last year, with the government intending to “give more rights to people renting their homes, including putting an end to unfair no-fault evictions, and reforming grounds for possession”.
Proposals included limits on how often landlords could raise rents in a set period and extending the Decent Homes Standard to privately rented homes.
Other key measures include the abolition of Section 21 no-fault evictions and renters’ right to end tenancies within two months, as well as strengthened repossession grounds for landlords.
There will also be a stop to bidding wars and landlords cannot ask for more than one month’s rent upfront, and will ban landlords and agents from refusing tenants if they have children or receive benefits and bolster local authority enforcement.
A Private Renters Sector Ombudsman will also be established to “offer, swift, binding resolutions to tenants’ complaints”.
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The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the act would secure a “fairer future” for around 11 million private renters and “rebalance landlord-tenant relations” across England.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Every family deserves the dignity of a safe and secure home. For too long, millions of renters have lived at the mercy of rogue landlords or insecure contracts, with their futures hanging in the balance. We’re putting an end to that.
“A secure home isn’t just bricks and mortar – it’s the foundation for opportunity, safety, and a better life. No child should grow up without one.”
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “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. We are tearing down the walls of injustice in the private rented sector and building a future where tenants are protected, respected and empowered. This is an historic moment for renters across the country and we’re proud to deliver it.”
Implementation of Renters’ Rights Act crucial
Beverley Kennard, head of lettings operations at Knight Frank, said this “marks a significant milestone in reforms that have been on the horizon for some time”.
She continued: “While we await clarity on implementation – expected to take effect within the next six months – it’s worth remembering that the bill is designed to tackle rogue practices, not penalise responsible landlords. Although the transition period may bring some adjustment, the core elements of the bill remain largely the same: the abolition of Section 21, changes to notice periods, and a 12-month restriction on re-letting where a landlord has given notice to sell.
“It’s also important to view the Renters’ Rights Bill within the wider context of the market. Tax policy, energy-efficiency requirements, and interest rates all continue to shape landlord confidence and investment decisions. We’ll be working closely with our landlords to help them understand the practical implications of these reforms, manage any perceived risks, and plan with confidence for the months ahead.”
Kennard said that for landlords, property was still a “sound long-term investment”, adding that the “fundamentals of the sector remain strong, and the keys to successfully letting a property are unchanged – thorough tenant referencing, good landlord-tenant relationships, professional management, and trusted advice”.
“In short, this is not cause for alarm; with the right preparation and advice, the private rented sector will continue to be a stable and worthwhile place to invest,” she noted.
Charles Roe, director of mortgages at UK Finance, said the Renters’ Rights Bill is a “positive step for tenants and the housing market”.
“The scale of the reforms means the pace of implementation is critical. Lenders, landlords, tenants, and agents will need sufficient time to adjust systems and processes, so that the bill delivers its intended benefits smoothly and without disruption,” he noted.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said that now that the Renters’ Rights Bill has become law, the “sector needs certainty about the way forward”.
“This is the most significant shake-up of the rental market in almost 40 years, and it is imperative that the new systems work for both tenants and responsible landlords. The NRLA stands ready to work with the government to ensure the reforms are implemented in a way that is fair, proportionate and deliverable.
“The government now needs to engage meaningfully with those providing the homes so desperately needed, to ensure implementation of the bill is realistic and aligns with the practicalities of the market – not least the need for clarity well in advance of the next academic year for student housing.
“At a minimum, the sector needs six months’ notice before implementation to ensure a smooth and seamless transition, and the government must provide certainty on this as soon as possible,” he said.
Beadle noted that the government “must also recognise the vital importance of a thriving private rented sector, not only to meet tenant demand but to the national economy”.
“It is essential that the government’s reforms do not worsen the supply crisis by discouraging long-term investment in the homes to rent that so many rely on.
“As the changes bed in, the government should commit to ongoing monitoring of their impact and ensure its findings are published,” he noted.
Overview of Renters’ Rights Act
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government offered the below list of key measures.
- Abolish Section 21 evictions and move to a simpler tenancy structure where all assured tenancies are periodic.
- Ensure possession grounds are fair to both parties, giving tenants more security, while ensuring landlords can recover their property when reasonable.
- Provide stronger protections against backdoor eviction by ensuring tenants are able to appeal excessive above-market rents that are purely designed to force them out.
- Introduce a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman that will provide quick, fair, impartial and binding resolution for tenants’ complaints about their landlord.
- Create a Private Rented Sector Database to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance (giving good landlords confidence in their position), alongside providing better information to tenants to make informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement.
- Give tenants strengthened rights to request a pet in the property, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. To support this, landlords will be able to require pet insurance to cover any damage to their property.
- Apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector to give renters safer, better-value homes and remove the blight of poor-quality homes in local communities.
- Apply Awaab’s Law to the sector, setting clear legal expectations about the time frames within which landlords in the private rented sector must take action to make homes safe where they contain serious hazards.
- Make it illegal for landlords and agents to discriminate against prospective tenants in receipt of benefits or with children – helping to ensure everyone is treated fairly when looking for a place to live.
- End the practice of rental bidding by prohibiting landlords and agents from asking for or accepting offers above the advertised rent. Landlords and agents will be required to publish an asking rent for their property and it will be illegal to accept offers made above this rate.
- Strengthen local authority enforcement by expanding civil penalties, introducing a package of investigatory powers and bringing in a new requirement for local authorities to report on enforcement activity.
- Strengthen rent repayment orders by extending them to superior landlords, doubling the maximum penalty and ensuring repeat offenders have to repay the maximum amount.
