Guide to the Renters Rights Act now published

The government has published its ‘Guide to the Renters Rights Act’ on 6 November 2025, whilst noting that – as of November 2025 – they are yet to issue a timetable for implementation.

In its opening paragraph, the guide states the following:

The UK Government has billed the Renters’ Rights Act is a landmark reform of England’s private rented sector, aiming to improve security, fairness, and housing quality for tenants while maintaining clear rights for responsible landlords.

It abolishes section 21 “no-fault” evictions, replaces fixed-term tenancies with open-ended periodic tenancies, and establishes a simpler, more transparent system of renting.

The full guide on the gov.uk website, even without including its preamble, runs to 10,877 words, so here is a concise summary of the key points:

Key Reforms

• Abolition of Section 21: Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without reason. All assured tenancies become periodic, allowing tenants to stay indefinitely until they give two months’ notice. Landlords can regain possession only through clearly defined legal grounds, such as selling, moving in, or tenant misconduct.
• Fair Grounds for Possession: Expanded and clarified possession grounds balance tenants’ security with landlords’ legitimate needs. A 12-month “protected period” prevents eviction to sell or move in during the first year of a tenancy, and landlords must give four months’ notice. Misuse of these grounds can lead to penalties.
• Rent Protections: Annual rent increases must follow a single statutory process using a section 13 notice, giving two months’ warning. Tenants can challenge excessive increases through the First-tier Tribunal, which will ensure rents cannot rise above the landlord’s proposed level or be backdated.
• Transition and Implementation: The new system will take effect on a single date, converting all existing tenancies automatically to the new regime. Section 21 notices will become invalid, and all tenancies will require a written agreement or information sheet.

Strengthening Tenant Rights

• Private Rented Sector Ombudsman: A new mandatory Ombudsman Service will handle tenant complaints free of charge. It will have powers to order apologies, compensation, or remedial action. Landlords must join the scheme or face civil penalties of up to £40,000 or prosecution.
• Private Rented Sector Database: All landlords must register themselves and their properties on a national database, creating a “one-stop shop” for compliance and transparency. Unregistered landlords may face fines or be barred from regaining possession. Councils can access data to target enforcement effectively.
• Decent Homes Standard (DHS): For the first time, private rentals must meet a DHS – ensuring homes are safe, well-maintained, and free from hazards. Councils can issue improvement notices, fines up to £7,000, or pursue criminal action for non-compliance.
• Awaab’s Law: Following the death of Awaab Ishak, this provision compels landlords to fix serious hazards such as damp and mould within set timeframes, with enforcement via courts or the Ombudsman.
• Ban on Discrimination: It becomes illegal to refuse tenants based on receiving benefits or having children. Any restrictive terms in mortgages, leases, or insurance policies will be void. Civil penalties of up to £7,000 will apply for breaches.
• Pet Ownership: Tenants gain a legal right to request pets, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse. Disputes can be taken to the Ombudsman or court.
• End to Rental Bidding: Landlords and agents must advertise a single asking rent and cannot solicit or accept higher bids, ending competitive “bidding wars.”
• Ban on Rent in Advance Demands: Landlords may not request more than one month’s rent upfront. Councils can issue fines or require repayment where this rule is broken.

Enforcement and Accountability

Local authorities receive expanded enforcement powers, including investigatory rights, entry to premises, and access to third-party financial information. Civil penalties range from £7,000 for minor breaches to £40,000 or prosecution for serious or repeat offences. Councils can retain penalty revenue for further enforcement.

Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) are also strengthened: tenants and councils can reclaim up to 24 months’ rent from landlords guilty of offences such as illegal eviction, non-registration, or misuse of possession grounds. Repeat offenders must repay the maximum amount.

Wider Impact of the Renters Rights Act

The Act will simplify England’s complex tenancy law, giving 11 million renters greater stability and confidence to challenge poor practice, while providing responsible landlords with clearer, fairer regulation. Social landlords will join the new system later, following consultation with the Regulator of Social Housing. The overarching goal is a fair, modern, and accountable rental market in which decent, secure housing is the norm, not the exception.

What Next for My Property Rental?

Overall, whilst it may feel daunting, much of the changes make obligatory what was already good practice – however, there are some notable exceptions, such as the abolition of Section 21 and the end of fixed term tenancies, amongst other things.

We have already been working in advance to adapt our systems and processes in order to make this transition as smooth as possible for our clients.

If you would like to talk through the changes (and note, as yet, these are changes to come, and we await clarity on when this transition period will begin and in what staged phases), then please give us a call or pop in to see us at our Herne Hill office.

To read the full government guide as published on November 6, please click the link here.