First phase of Renters’ Rights Act to come into force in six months

The government has published an implementation “roadmap” for the Renters’ Rights Act, which will come into effect on May 1 2026 and be rolled out in three phases.

The new law, aimed at increasing security for private rented sector (PRS) tenants, will scrap section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and blanket bans on pets in rental homes as well as stopping landlords from refusing tenants because they have children or receive benefits, alongside several other reforms.

Housing secretary Steve Reed said: “We’re calling time on no fault evictions and rogue landlords. Everyone should have peace of mind and the security of a roof over their head - the law we’ve just passed delivers that.

“We’re now on a countdown of just months to that law coming in – so good landlords can get ready and bad landlords should clean up their act.”

The Renters’ Rights Bill received royal assent at the end of October.

The first phase of implementation will bring the new tenancy regime into force from May 2026. This includes the section 21 abolition and introduction of assured periodic tenancies, which means tenants will be allowed to remain in their property for as long as they want or until a landlord serves a valid section 8 grounds for possession notice.

While tenancy reforms will not initially apply to the social rented sector, this will happen during phase two.

The second phase of the plan will be introduced from late 2026 and is split into two key stages.

>>See also: Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law

>>See also: Rushanara Ali case shows why Renters’ Rights Bill needs careful handling

Stage one will see the regional rollout of the database for landlords and local councils. This will require all PRS landlords to register for the database and pay an annual fee to be confirmed closer to the launch. They will have to log key information on the database, such as contact details and property details including safety information.

The second stage will expand the database rollout by enabling public access and data sharing and introduce the private rented sector ombudsman to provide a redress service for tenant complaints.

The act’s final phase will introduce a new Decent Homes Standard (DHS) to the PRS for the first time, aiming to ensure all properties meet a minimum standard of housing quality and provide local councils with powers to take enforcement action if housing fails to meet it. Awaab’s Law will also be extended to the PRS during this stage.

Sarah Elliott, chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, said: “For too long, renters have lived under the constant threat of no-fault evictions. Families have been torn from their communities, with record numbers pushed into homelessness.

“Too many have been silenced about discrimination and unsafe conditions. Today we celebrate that their voices have finally been heard, and change is on the way.”

Meanwhile, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) called on the government to urgently publish guidance documents, arguing that the sector needs at least six months from the publication of regulations to prepare to adopt the reforms.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “Unless the government urgently publishes all the guidance documents and written material needed to update tenancy agreements to reflect the changes to come, the plan will prove less a roadmap and more a path to inevitable failure.

“Without this landlords, tenants, agents, councils and the courts will be left without the information required to adapt, creating utter confusion at the very moment clarity is most needed.”

The government said it will publish guidance for landlords and letting agents covering phase one reforms later this month, with guidance for tenants due to be published in April 2026.

Beadle added: “Ministers also need to explain how the county court will be ready to process legitimate possession cases far more swiftly than at present. As the cross-party justice committee has rightly warned, the court is simply dysfunctional. Vague assurances about digitisation, without an idea of what that means in practice, are simply not good enough.”