With just weeks to go until the first major phase of reforms under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 take effect, the Government has ramped up its preparations with a flurry of activity. A series of statutory instruments, updated guidance and an official information sheet for tenants have now been published as part of a wider publicity campaign.

This article highlights what is changing on 1 May 2026, what landlords need to do now, and what is still to come.

What changes on 1 May 2026?

The first phase of the Act delivers the most significant reforms to the private rented sector (PRS) in decades.

End of section 21 "no fault" evictions and fixed terms

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) will be consigned to history. Existing ASTs will automatically convert to periodic assured tenancies, and no new fixed-term assured tenancies can be granted.

30 April 2026 will be the last day on which a section 21 notice can be served, and 31 July 2026 will be the deadline for starting court proceedings under any section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026.

New and revised grounds for possession

With section 21 gone, landlords seeking possession will need to rely on the revised section 8 grounds. These include amended grounds relating to landlord sale and landlord's own occupation, as well as new grounds for student HMOs. Landlords will need to provide specific reasons for seeking possession in every case.

Restrictions on rent increases

Landlords will only be able to increase rent once a year, by serving a section 13 notice with at least two months' notice. Tenants will be able to challenge both initial rents and subsequent increases at the First‑tier Tribunal.

Ban on rental bidding

All property adverts must state the proposed rent, and landlords and agents will be prohibited from accepting or encouraging offers above the advertised figure.

Limits on rent in advance

For new tenancies, landlords may not accept any rent before the agreement is signed, and once the agreement is in place they may only require one month's rent at a time.

Anti‑discrimination provisions

New rules will prevent landlords from refusing to let to tenants with children or those in receipt of benefits.

Right to request a pet

Tenants will have a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet. Landlords must respond within 28 days and can only refuse for valid reasons.

Written tenancy information

All new tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026 must include prescribed written information about key tenancy terms, either within the tenancy agreement itself or in a separate written statement. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to £7,000.

Recent Government guidance

The past week has seen a burst in activity from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. They have published:

  • the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet – the prescribed document that landlords with existing ASTs must serve on their tenants by 31 May 2026. The information sheet covers new rules on possession and notice periods, the abolition of fixed terms, rent increases, the right to keep a pet and student lets.
  • further secondary legislation, including the final form of the written statement requirements for new tenancies;
  • confirmation that purpose‑built student accommodation (PBSA) is exempt from the assured tenancy regime; and
  • updated landlord guidance and a compliance checklist.

While the guidance is written to be as easily understood as possible, it is difficult to accurately summarise such complex law. The result is that some of the guidance may be overly simplistic, and landlords should always check the actual legal requirements rather than relying solely on the guidance.

What landlords should be doing now

With the 1 May 2026 implementation date fast approaching, landlords and their agents should be taking practical steps to prepare:

  • Serve the Information Sheet on all existing assured and assured shorthold tenants from 1 May and by no later than 31 May 2026. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to £7,000 for a single breach, rising to £40,000 for repeated breaches.
  • Note that 30 April 2026 is the last date to serve a section 21 notice. Landlords who need to recover possession under the current regime should act immediately if they have not already done so.
  • Update tenancy documents. Standard tenancy agreements should be updated to comply with the new written statement requirements and reflect the periodic assured tenancy structure.
  • Serve additional statutory notices where required. Landlords wishing to rely on certain possession grounds for existing tenancies – particularly student lets – will need to serve additional notices on tenants within prescribed time limits.
  • Review compliance and referencing processes. Tenant referencing checks should be reviewed to ensure they are robust, and landlords should confirm they are meeting all existing legal obligations, given the enhanced enforcement powers local authorities already have.
  • Train staff and agents on the new possession grounds, rent increase rules, pet requests and anti‑discrimination obligations.

What comes next?

Not all of the Act's reforms will arrive on 1 May 2026. Several significant measures are scheduled for later implementation, including:

  • extending the reforms detailed above to the social rented sector in 2027;
  • a new national PRS Database, requiring private landlords to register and pay an annual fee, is expected to begin a phased regional roll-out from late 2026;
  • a mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman, providing binding redress for tenant complaints, is expected to follow, with set up due to start later this year and sign up expected to be compulsory in around 2028; and
  • the extension of Awaab's Law (imposing strict timescales for landlords to address hazards such as damp and mould) and the application of the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, which remain subject to consultation and are not expected to apply in full for several years.

The Act represents a fundamental reset of the PRS in England. Whether one views it as a long-overdue rebalancing of the landlord-tenant relationship or an unwelcome source of regulatory burden, there is no question that the 1 May 2026 changes are significant and require careful preparation.

Landlords and agents who have not yet begun that process should treat this as a matter of urgency. We will continue to monitor developments as further secondary legislation and guidance are published in the months ahead.

To discuss these reforms and timings further please contact Tara Goodwin.