The private rented sector in England changed significantly on 1 May 2026, when the first major phase of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force.
For landlords, this is a good time to carry out a full compliance audit rather than assume that tenancy documents and procedures used before May are still suitable.
Some of the changes affect existing tenancies as well as new ones, so landlords should review not only properties being newly let but their entire portfolio.
1. Check the status of every tenancy
Existing assured shorthold tenancies moved into the new assured periodic tenancy system from 1 May 2026.
New assured tenancies are also periodic rather than being created with a fixed end date.
Landlords should therefore review their records and make sure that management procedures no longer rely on the old assumption that a fixed-term AST will simply expire.
Existing written agreements did not automatically need to be replaced, but landlords need to understand which provisions may no longer operate in the way they originally expected.
2. Check that tenants received the required information
Most landlords and letting agents with affected existing tenancies were required to provide tenants with the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
A separate copy should have been supplied to each tenant.
Simply sending tenants a web link to the document was not sufficient. The official document needed to be supplied in the required form.
Landlords who use managing agents should not simply assume this was completed. Ask for evidence showing what was supplied, to whom and when.
For some tenancies affected by possession proceedings started before 1 May, different timing provisions can apply when those proceedings end or notices cease to have effect.
3. Remove Section 21 from your possession strategy
Section 21 is no longer the standard route for recovering possession from tenants covered by the new regime.
Landlords now need an appropriate statutory ground for possession and, in most cases, must use the Section 8 process.
This makes record keeping increasingly important.
If possession may eventually be needed because of rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, a planned sale, landlord occupation or another recognised ground, the evidence supporting that ground should be assembled properly.
Do not use old Section 21 templates or instructions simply because they remain saved on a computer or property-management system.
4. Review how rent increases are handled
Landlords should also review any tenancy agreement containing a traditional rent-review clause.
Under the new system, landlords generally need to use the statutory rent-increase procedure rather than relying on contractual rent-review provisions.
Rent increases are normally limited to once a year and require the prescribed notice procedure.
Landlords should make sure agents, administrators and accounting systems are working from the current rules.
5. Audit rental advertising and applicant selection
Landlords and agents must not discriminate against prospective tenants simply because they have children or receive benefits.
Review advertisements and instructions for phrases such as:
“No DSS”
“No benefits”
“No children”
Applicant assessment can still include legitimate considerations such as affordability, suitability and references, but landlords should ensure criteria are applied fairly and consistently rather than imposing blanket exclusions.
6. Review rent-in-advance procedures
The Act also changed how rent can be requested before a tenancy begins.
Landlords and agents should review application procedures carefully and make sure they are not asking for, encouraging or accepting prohibited advance rent payments before the tenancy agreement is signed.
This is particularly important where historic procedures required tenants to provide several months’ rent before documents were completed.
7. Put a procedure in place for pet requests
Tenants now have stronger rights to request permission to keep a pet.
Landlords cannot simply operate a blanket “no pets” policy without considering individual requests.
Create a written procedure covering:
- receipt of the request;
- property suitability;
- restrictions in superior leases;
- relevant insurance considerations;
- the landlord’s decision; and
- the reasons for any refusal.
Good written records may be important if a decision is later disputed.
8. Check deposit compliance again
Deposit protection remains an area where apparently minor errors can create significant problems.
Check that every relevant deposit is protected correctly and that the required information has been supplied.
Do not assume that protection alone is enough. Records should show the amount received, scheme used, dates, prescribed information and any changes involving tenants or deposits.
9. Audit your letting agent
Using a letting agent does not mean landlords should stop checking compliance.
Ask your agent whether they have updated:
- tenancy documentation;
- possession procedures;
- rental advertising;
- rent-increase processes;
- pet-request procedures;
- applicant-selection policies; and
- Renters’ Rights Act information procedures.
Keep evidence of the answers.
What about Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The major tenancy reforms introduced in England on 1 May 2026 should not simply be applied to properties elsewhere in the UK.
Wales operates under the Renting Homes system and uses occupation contracts.
Scotland has its own Private Residential Tenancy framework.
Northern Ireland also operates under separate private-tenancy legislation.
Landlords with properties in more than one UK nation should therefore maintain separate compliance procedures for each jurisdiction.
Make compliance an ongoing process
The Renters’ Rights Act reforms did not finish on 1 May.
Further changes are expected, including the introduction of the Private Rented Sector Database and other regulatory measures.
A compliance audit should therefore not be treated as a one-off exercise.
NetRent’s Landlord Legal Updates will continue tracking important developments affecting landlords, letting agents and tenants throughout the UK, with particular focus on England and clear explanations where the position differs elsewhere.
NetRent also supports landlords with landlord insurance, mortgages and property sales.
Telephone: 01352 721300
Email: support@netrent.co.uk
Important information
NetRent does not provide legal advice. The articles represent our understanding of rental property law and are for general information only.