The government has confirmed when the first stage of the long-awaited and newly passed Renters’ Rights Act will come into force: 1 May 2026.
While the announcement brings clarity on when reforms begin, it still leaves many in the sector, as well as many landlords, questioning how the transition will work in practice.
Ministers have said little beyond announcing the implementation date, but phase one is expected to include two of the headline changes that everyone has been preparing for: that is to say, the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, alongside the wider move to periodic tenancies and updated tenancy frameworks.
For letting agents, property managers, and landlords, the countdown has officially started.
The Lettings Industry body, Propertymark, has taken a broadly positive stance, describing the announcement as a welcome opportunity for agents to “get ahead” of the transition.
A spokesperson noted that having a firm date allows landlords to focus, but also means that letting agencies and property management firms can finalise their internal preparations, review relevant systems and processes, and can now begin meaningful conversations with their clients – their landlords – as well as their tenants.
Propertymark has pressed government repeatedly for a long lead-time, arguing that agents needed breathing room to adjust to a new legal landscape.
To support the lettings industry, Propertymark has expanded its training roadshows, regional events, and guidance resources, emphasising that early preparation will be essential for a smooth switch to the new periodic-only model.
Not everyone shares this same optimism.
Pointedly, The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has voiced frustration over what it describes as an incomplete announcement. While the date is now set, the association argues that the government has provided none of the practical information required for landlords to begin preparing.
NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle stressed that six months’ notice after all regulations and guidance are published is the minimum.
According to the NRLA, the sector cannot prepare until the government issues the detailed documents required to:
Without this, Beadle warns, the transition risks “creating confusion at the very moment clarity is most needed.”
A major sticking point remains the county court system, currently struggling with prolonged delays for possession cases as it is. The Justice Committee has previously described the courts as “dysfunctional,” and the NRLA has said that landlords have little confidence that they will be able to obtain possession efficiently under the new rules.
Government assurances about digital reforms have done little to settle nerves. Landlords and agents alike have asked for specifics about what will change, when, and how quickly.
The NRLA highlights the huge operational task ahead, including:
There are of course many moving parts, and industry voices are naturally urging ministers to release the full regulatory framework without delay.
We know that the clock is ticking, and we understand the frustration that landlords feel about the finer details still being missing.
But on the other hand, we can make some seriously educated guesses at this stage – and there is already much that we have put in place, and plenty that landlords can do also, to comply fully with new and changing regulations as we currently understand them.
At Petermans, we will certainly continue to monitor every announcement, so that we can push it out to our clients as clear, practical guidance, to navigate the transition whilst avoiding the compliance pitfalls that reforming legislation can so easily create.
More updates will follow as soon as the government publishes the further guidance – but in the meantime, we urge landlords to keep cool heads and plan based on what we do already know. Make sure to read our summary, which we posted as a blog article last week – see link here.
It condenses 11,000 words into some salient points that landlords can get thinking about already, well ahead of time.
For help navigating this change, please feel free to pick our brains – or, indeed, to throw keys at us and ask us to handle it all! If you let out property in SE24 and feel that now is the time to seek a safe pair of hands, here at Petermans we are absolutely at your service.
We are required by law to conduct anti-money laundering checks on all those selling or buying a property. Whilst we retain responsibility for ensuring checks and any ongoing monitoring are carried out correctly, the initial checks are carried out on our behalf by Lifetime Legal who will contact you once you have agreed to instruct us in your sale or had an offer accepted on a property you wish to buy. The cost of these checks is £60 (incl. VAT), which covers the cost of obtaining relevant data and any manual checks and monitoring which might be required. This fee will need to be paid by you in advance of us publishing your property (in the case of a vendor) or issuing a memorandum of sale (in the case of a buyer), directly to Lifetime Legal, and is non-refundable. We will receive some of the fee taken by Lifetime Legal to compensate for its role in the provision of these checks.