The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now law — What landlords and tenants must know

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now law. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, with a staged roll-out of measures via commencement regulations. That means it’s time for landlords and tenants to prepare — but don’t assume every new rule is in force yet. Early changes focus on local authority enforcement powers, with larger reforms (like ending Section 21 and moving to rolling tenancies) commencing on specified dates set in secondary legislation.

• Where the Act is now
• What actually alters landlords’ and tenants’ day-to-day rights
• Practical checklist — what landlords should do now
• Practical tips for tenants
• What industry bodies and commentators are saying

Where the Act stands now (Oct 2025)

The Act completed its passage through Parliament and received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Substantive provisions will commence in phases through regulations and guidance. Early commencement includes new local authority powers from 27 December 2025 to investigate suspected breaches (illegal eviction, poor standards, non-compliance). High-profile reforms — the abolition of Section 21 and the shift to rolling tenancies — will commence on dates set by secondary legislation; until those dates, the current rules continue to apply.

Official sources: GOV.UK announcement; UK Parliament Bill file; Propertymark update on first commencement window.

The practical changes that matter (what will change day-to-day)

1) Abolition of Section 21 (no-fault evictions)

Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are abolished by the Act, but the change takes effect on a commencement date set by regulations. After commencement, landlords must rely on reformed Section 8 grounds (fault and non-fault) — for example serious rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, landlord sale, or moving back in. Expect updated court forms and guidance. Keep evidence (rent ledgers, inspection notes, communications) to support any possession claim.

What to do now (landlords): keep detailed rent ledgers, written warnings and inspection notes; maintain a clear, dated audit trail of all communications and visits.

2) Tenancy structure — move away from fixed-term ASTs toward periodic tenancies

The Act ends fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and transitions the sector to a single periodic (rolling) tenancy model. Tenants will be able to end tenancies with statutory notice; landlords will rely on statutory grounds where possession is required. This simplifies the legal framework but reduces fixed-term certainty for landlords. Commencement dates will be set in regulations.

Practical tip: If you need certainty for business reasons (e.g. planned refurbishment or sale), plan timelines earlier and review options (e.g. corporate lets, evidenced statutory grounds, robust notice planning). Seek legal wording for compliant arrangements once commencement is confirmed.

3) Rent rises, rental bidding and deposits

• Rent increases: Limited to once per year with routes to challenge excessive increases (e.g. First-tier Tribunal). Prescribed notice and evidence (market comparators) will be important when challenged.
• Rental bidding: Banning “bidding wars” above a published asking rent — adverts must show a clear asking price.
• Deposits / “lifetime” deposit: A transferable deposit model is provided for in the Act, with operational details to follow in secondary legislation and scheme guidance.

What to do now: publish clear asking rents; review clauses that permit annual increases; track comparable local rents and save evidence; speak to your deposit protection provider about how transferable deposits will work in practice.

4) Tenant protections (pets, benefit claimants, families)

Blanket bans against tenants with children or in receipt of benefits are restricted. Landlords must consider reasonable requests to keep pets and cannot operate blanket “no-pets” policies without justification; conditions like pet insurance and reasonable clauses may be permitted. Detailed parameters will be set out in guidance and regulations.

Tenant tip: make pet requests formal and evidence-backed (references, pet insurance, recent photos) to improve chances of acceptance.

5) Property standards, Awaab’s Law and a reformed Decent Homes Standard

• Awaab’s Law (social sector first): Statutory timeframes for responding to serious hazards (including damp and mould) apply to social landlords from 27 October 2025, with plans to extend and phase in further hazards and sectors thereafter. Private landlords should prepare now for similar duty-type requirements and faster repair deadlines.
• Decent Homes Standard (reform/extension to PRS): Government has consulted on a reformed Decent Homes Standard to cover both social and privately rented homes; timescales and final requirements will follow the consultation outcome.

Action for landlords: prioritise checks for damp, mould, heating, smoke/CO alarms, electrics and ventilation. Establish a fast repair triage and record timescales and works completed.

Short, practical checklist — what landlords should do today

1. Audit all tenancies and paperwork — check notice templates, rent-increase clauses, deposit protection and evidence trails (rent statements, communications).
2. Improve record keeping — use your dashboard/CRM to timestamp rent receipts, messages and repairs.
3. Update adverts & listing copy — publish a clear asking rent and remove any bidding language.
4. Review pet policy — replace blanket bans with a reasonable-requests process.
5. Survey property condition now — focus on damp, mould, heating, electrics and life-safety. Prioritise remedial work.
6. Check insurer and contracts — confirm cover for rolling tenancies, pets and higher repair duty.
7. Train staff and agents — update processes for possession claims, rent disputes and tribunal evidence.
8. Plan cashflow for upgrades — model 12–24 month scenarios for repairs, deposit changes and voids.

These steps reflect the Act’s practical direction and published guidance.

Practical tips for tenants

• Log repairs: keep photos, dates and copies of messages for any repair or hazard.
• Pets: submit a formal pet request with references and a proposed pet agreement or insurance.
• If you get a rent increase you don’t agree with: ask your landlord for evidence of comparable rents; you may be able to challenge the rise at tribunal once the appeal system is in place.

What industry bodies and commentators are saying

Industry groups recognise the aim of tenant stability but warn of supply-side impacts, higher compliance costs and potential court backlogs as possession claims move from administrative to evidential processes. Government and sector bodies continue to discuss implementation windows, enforcement mechanisms and support. Stay plugged into trade body updates (e.g. NRLA, Propertymark) for templates and briefings as commencement dates are confirmed.

Resources & further reading (official / practical)

• Government announcement and overview — GOV.UK
• Parliament page (full text, stages) — UK Parliament Bills
• Independent explainer for landlords — Pinsent Masons
• Awaab’s Law (timeframes, scope, social sector first) — GOV.UK guidance
• Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard — GOV.UK consultation

How LettingaProperty.com can help

If you’re a landlord worried about compliance, inspections, tenancy paperwork or cashflow modelling as the Act phases in, we provide tailored support — from tenancy agreements to property compliance checks and a landlord dashboard to track repairs and communications. You can also use our free instant valuation tool to understand rental value in the current market.

Final thoughts

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now on the statute book, with the big changes arriving through staged commencement. Early preparation reduces risk: audit tenancies, prioritise property standards and update processes now, so you’re ready when each phase goes live.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the Renters’ Rights Act law yet?
Yes. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. However, most changes take effect on commencement dates set in regulations — check official updates for live timelines.

2. When will Section 21 be abolished in practice?
The Act abolishes Section 21, but the practical switch happens on a commencement date set by secondary legislation. Notices served before the commencement date remain governed by current law until they expire — always check the commencement regulations once published.

3. What starts first?
New local authority enforcement powers start from 27 December 2025, with other reforms following on later commencement dates announced by government.

4. Does Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords now?
From 27 October 2025, Awaab’s Law applies to the social rented sector with fixed response timeframes; the government plans further phases and extensions. Private landlords should prepare for faster repair duties and keep robust records.

5. What happens to deposits?
The Act provides for a transferable “lifetime” deposit, but the operational details (digital transfer mechanisms, scheme rules) will come via regulations and scheme guidance. Speak to your deposit protection scheme and watch for official updates.

Need help now?

Book a free 15-minute review — tenancy audit, compliance checklist and clear next steps. Speak to a Lettings Expert today.