For landlords across England, 2026 is the year the rulebook changes. The Renters' Rights Act, which received Royal Assent in 2025, brings its most significant provisions into force from 1 May 2026 — and every private landlord with a residential tenancy needs to understand what's changing, whether you manage a single buy-to-let or a substantial portfolio. The reforms are the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector in a generation, and the transition window is shorter than many landlords realise.
From 1 May 2026, landlords can no longer serve a Section 21 "no-fault" notice. Every eviction must now go through Section 8, relying on one of the Act's statutory grounds — rent arrears, sale of the property, a landlord or their family moving in, breach of tenancy, or anti-social behaviour, among others. Some grounds are mandatory, meaning the court must grant possession once the ground is proven; others are discretionary, leaving it to the court's judgement. Because every case must now be evidence-led rather than automatic, landlords should keep tenancy files, rent statements, inspection reports and correspondence in far better order than the old no-fault route ever required.
The Act abolishes fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies entirely. Any AST still running on 1 May 2026 converts automatically into an assured periodic tenancy — a rolling agreement with no fixed end date. New tenancies signed after that date cannot be granted on a fixed term at all. Tenants gain more flexibility to leave, generally on two months' notice, while landlords lose the certainty of a fixed term and must instead plan around the Act's statutory grounds for regaining possession. Standard tenancy agreements and renewal paperwork should be reviewed now so they reflect the periodic model rather than referencing a fixed term that will no longer be enforceable.
Where a Section 8 eviction is based on rent arrears, tenants must now have accrued at least three months' unpaid rent — up from two — before proceedings can begin, and arrears must still be outstanding at the date of the court hearing, not just when the notice was served. Combined with ongoing court backlogs, this means landlords relying on the arrears ground should expect a longer gap between missed rent and repossession than under the previous regime. Early engagement with tenants who fall behind, clear rent statements, and consideration of debt advice referrals or a payment plan are worth pursuing well before the three-month threshold is reached, rather than waiting for it as the trigger to act.
Landlords with tenancies that were assured shorthold tenancies immediately before 1 May 2026 are required to provide tenants with the government's official Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, setting out their rights under the new Act. Failure to do so carries a penalty of up to £7,000, with more serious or repeated breaches potentially escalating further. This is a straightforward administrative step, but an easy one to overlook amid the wider changes — it should be diarised now, and self-managing landlords in particular should build in a reminder well ahead of the deadline rather than relying on memory alone.
In practical terms, four things are worth actioning now. Review every tenancy in your portfolio to establish its current status and confirm which agreements will automatically convert to periodic tenancies on 1 May. Audit rent accounts so that, where arrears exist, the evidential position is properly documented in case a Section 8 ground is ever needed. Update standard tenancy paperwork, renewal letters and any template notices to remove references to Section 21 and fixed terms, replacing them with wording that reflects the periodic tenancy model. And prepare to issue the Information Sheet on time, keeping a record of when and how it was sent to each tenant.
The Renters' Rights Act represents a genuine shift in how the sector operates, and landlords who prepare methodically — rather than reacting once the deadline has passed — will be far better placed to manage their properties with confidence under the new rules. If you let residential property through Giles Real Estates, our lettings team can review your portfolio against the new requirements and help you get ahead of the 1 May deadline; get in touch to arrange a compliance check.