Rental Pulse | February 2026: Your February Strategy Guide

February is a turning point. The spring lettings market is traditionally the busiest of the year, and January’s data shows the momentum building – time to let dropped to around 12 days. With the Renters’ Rights Act deadline of 1 May approaching, here’s what’s working and what to prioritise now.

The market in early 2026

After December’s seasonal lull, the market began to stir in January: tenant demand rose about 8% month-on-month while supply stayed relatively stable, creating a brief window where well-presented properties let faster than at any point in late 2025.

Sources: Rightmove Rental Trends Report and Zoopla Rental Market Report, January 2026.

Capitalising on the spring market

The spring market (March to May) is the strongest letting window of the year, and February is your preparation month:

• Vacant or soon-to-be-vacant? List now – tenants are active, but competition intensifies as more landlords list for spring.
• Tenancies expiring March to May? Start renewal conversations early; with Section 21 ending, retaining good tenants becomes more valuable.
• Properties needing work? Complete it by mid-February – with Awaab’s Law enforcement increasing, compliance issues delay lettings.

Should you review rents before May?

From 1 May 2026, rent on a periodic tenancy can be increased only once a year through a Section 13 notice, with at least two months’ notice, evidence of market rates, and enhanced rights for tenants to challenge. In this transitional period: if a rent is clearly below market, it may be worth reviewing with local comparables; if the last increase was over 12 months ago, a modest 3–5% is justifiable; if the rent is competitive and the tenants are good, holding steady protects retention.

The Renters’ Rights Act: key dates

• 30 April 2026 – the last day to serve a Section 21 “no-fault” notice.
• 1 May 2026 – Section 21 is abolished and tenancies become periodic (rolling) by default; possession is obtained through the expanded Section 8 grounds.
• 31 May 2026 – deadline to give existing tenants the required written statement of terms (penalties apply for non-compliance).

A note on territory: these changes apply to England. Wales has operated a similar model since the Renting Homes (Wales) Act came into force in December 2022, and Scotland ended no-fault evictions back in 2017 under the Private Residential Tenancy. Wherever you let, the direction of travel is the same – open-ended tenancies and grounds-based possession. See our full Renters’ Rights Act guide for the detail.

January performance

January showed how speed compounds when the market turns – from first enquiry to signed contract, the average tenancy was secured in under two weeks:

Our lettings team also resolved difficult-tenant situations and kept arrears at zero for landlords this month, earning consistent five-star reviews.