Renters' Rights Bill: changes for private tenants
The Renters' Rights Act will mean big changes for most private renters.
The new law is expected to bring changes from 2026.
We will update this page as soon as we know the date.
For now, your rights have not changed.
What to expect
No more section 21 notices
At the moment, your landlord can evict you without a reason.
Your landlord will not be able to give you a section 21 notice when the law changes. This means 'no fault' evictions will end.
Instead, private landlords will need a reason to evict you. For example, if:
you owe rent
your landlord is selling the property
Most private renters will have an assured tenancy. This will give you stronger rights than an assured shorthold tenancy (AST).
You could still be evicted if you get a valid section 21 before the law changes.
New 1 month limit on rent in advance
Your landlord will not be able to ask for more than 1 month's rent in advance.
Councils will be able to fine landlords who ask for or accept more.
No more fixed term tenancies
There will be no more fixed term assured shorthold tenancies (AST).
If you have a fixed term AST, it will become a 'periodic' assured tenancy.
This means it will not have a set end date.
It will be a 'rolling' monthly or weekly tenancy.
Ending your tenancy
You will have to give 2 months' notice if you want to end your tenancy.
Your landlord will be able to agree to a shorter notice.
Your landlord can only end your tenancy by going to court. They will need a reason to evict you.
Rent increases
Your landlord will have to use a section 13 notice to put your rent up.
This will give you at least 2 months' warning of a rent increase.
Tenancy agreement clauses that say the rent can go up in other ways will no longer apply.
You will be able to challenge the increase through a tribunal if you think it's too much.
The tribunal:
can set a lower rent if they agree that the increase is too much
will not be able to put your rent up to more than your landlord wants
Your landlord will not be able to evict you for challenging a rent increase.
What the changes mean for your tenancy agreement
You will have an assured tenancy with stronger rights.
You will have these new rights even if your agreement still says 'assured shorthold'.
New tenants will get a written statement of terms before agreeing to a tenancy
This should have basic information like:
the rent
the landlord's name and address
Table: The main changes
| Before Renters' Rights Act | After the law changes |
|---|---|
| You can be evicted for no reason with a section 21. | Landlords will need a legal reason to evict you with a section 8 notice. |
| Rent in advance is not limited. | Your landlord will only be able to ask for 1 month's rent in advance. |
| Your landlord might pressure you to agree to a rent increase at any time. | Your landlord can only put the rent up once a year. They must give at least 2 months' notice. |
| You might have a fixed term tenancy which makes it hard to leave early. | Most renters will have periodic tenancies. You can end your tenancy by giving notice. |
| You can often give 1 month's notice to end a periodic AST. | You will need to give at least 2 months' notice to end a periodic assured tenancy. |
Your rights will not change if you're a lodger who lives with your landlord.
Last updated: 22 July 2025
