It was good to spend a powerful and practical Sunday in Birmingham at the Renters Rights Bill Update Conference hosted by PIN with Simon Zutshi, Paul Shamplina, Susie Crolla and Adam Lawrence designed to help landlords stay compliant, stay protected, and spot the opportunities others are missing with the looming Renters Rights Bill.
When the Renters’ Rights Bill gains Royal Assent – anticipated in the autumn with many of the key provisions coming into effect from early 2026, the rental sector will have undergone one of its most transformative changes in decades.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, introduced by the Labour government, builds upon the groundwork laid by its predecessor, the Conservative’s Renters’ Reform Bill. Both pieces of legislation share a common ambition: to professionalise the PRS and create a fairer system. This includes a commitment to raise standards including through tenancy security and stricter health and safety regulations.
The Bill is set to impact over 11 million private renters1 in England, meaning nearly one in five (19%) households will feel the changes. Among the biggest shifts is the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, which will mean landlords must always provide a valid reason to end a tenancy.
Rent increases will also be limited to once a year and capped at the market rate, while new rules will also prohibit bidding wars that push tenants above the advertised asking price. At the same time, the Bill introduces stronger property standards by extending the Decent Homes Standard to the private sector, speeding up repairs under Awaab’s Law, and giving tenants new protections against discrimination if they have pets, children or receive benefits.
While these reforms are designed to make renting fairer, the transitional period is expected to cause confusion and disputes as both renters and landlords adjust to the changes.
Key changes the Bill will enforce
Under the current regime, landlords have two routes to obtaining possession: the section 21 route (non-fault based eviction) and the section 8 route (fault based eviction). The new Bill will see this system largely reformed, including:
- Fixed-term tenancies are being scrapped and all tenancies will automatically become periodic (i.e. rolling monthly). This will provide greater flexibility for tenants but potentially harder for landlords to plan long-term lets.
- No more ‘no fault’ evictions. Landlords will have to rely on a ground for possession to evict a tenant, and all eviction cases will need to be determined at a court hearing- this will likely increase the cost and length of time for these to be resolved.
- New grounds for eviction if landlords want to sell the property, but evidence in support will be required
Notice periods for eviction notices will increase – Landlords can expect, in most circumstances, notice periods to be either 4 weeks or 4 months, depending on the possession ground being relied upon. - Landlords will be required to advertise rental costs upfront and not accept rent at any higher level than that advertised, banning ‘bidding wars’. This aims to keep rental costs fair and transparent.
- Rent increases are limited to once a year by prescribed form (i.e. section 13 procedure).
- Tenants will have the right to request a pet – Landlords can’t unreasonably refuse.
- Landlords cannot discriminate against tenants with children or who are claiming benefits. Refusal to rent to those tenants will be unlawful.
- The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law (currently applicable to social housing) will be extended to private rentals, ensuring tenants benefit from homes which are safe and to a decent standard
- Landlords must join a new landlord database and Ombudsman scheme. Registration will be mandatory and the Ombudsman will handle some tenant complaints providing a ‘free, fair and impartial’ method of dispute resolution for tenants.
- Penalties for non-compliance are tough – ranging from fines of up to £7,000 for initial breaches to fines of £40,000 for repeat or significant breaches, rent repayment orders or even a criminal conviction.
What this will mean for landlords
There’s no doubt the proposed Bill will significantly impact the PRS. There are both opportunities and risks for landlords and landlords must familiarise themselves with the proposed changes to ensure compliance.
Landlords must be aware of the proposed changes for now. Once the Bill is passed, they should keep an eye out for the new Database and Ombudsman (to make sure they sign up as soon as possible), diarise annual rent increases and respond rapidly to complaints about mould or damp. They might start to budget for any works they have to do to comply with the Decent Homes Standard (although the details of the Standard as it applies to the PRS are not yet clear and will be set out in secondary legislation which might not be implemented for a number of years (a recent consultation has suggested 9 years after the Bill becomes law).
Courts, already feeling the strain of existing possession claims, will struggle to cope and delays will increase. It is likely that the First Tier Tribunal, tasked with dealing with the anticipated increase in appeals against rent increases, may also experience delays.
Penalties for non-compliance on landlords and/or agents will be significant and that, together with the risk of having a tenant that falls into arrears with a delayed Court process, could disproportionately impact smaller and individual landlords.
No implementation details until it becomes law
A government official has said that the long-awaited implementation dates for specific measures the Renters Rights Bill won’t be released until the legislation formally becomes law.
The National Residential Landlords Association and other industry voices have long asked for specific timelines for different proposals, to allow landlords and letting agents to plan accordingly.
But Guy Horsington, deputy director of the private rented sector at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has told an NRLA podcast that "details of transition arrangements and timelines will only be released once the Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes law. The government will take into account how much time they believe the sector will need in order to adjust.
Such uncertainty does leave both landlords and the wider PRS in limbo” says the NRLA. “With the Renters Rights Bill bringing about the biggest change in private renting in decades, we have been clear that the government needs to announce its implementation timeline as soon as possible. We are calling for a six-month minimum lead-in period between the confirmation of the detail and measures coming into force.”
Earlier this month Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook promised a “smooth transition” to introduce the Renters Rights Bill. He told MPs that "following Royal Assent – now expected in the second half of October – the government will allow for a “smooth transition to the new system. We will support tenants, landlords and agents to understand and adjust to the new rules. We want to make that change as smoothly and efficiently as possible, and to introduce the new tenancies for the private rented sector in one stage.”
That means that once a date is confirmed, the new tenancy system will apply to all private tenancies.
Pennycook added “existing tenancies will convert to the new system and any new tenancies signed on or after the date will be governed by the new rules. We will work closely with all parts of the sector to ensure a smooth transition and we will provide sufficient notice ahead of implementation.”
Other elements of the Bill may take far longer to introduce in practice.
The mandatory database of all residential landlords and private rented accommodation, for example, won’t be brought in until extra regulations are made, and how it will work in practice or when it will be introduced is not yet known.
Likewise with the creation of a Private Rental Sector Ombudsman, which involves a landlord registering before a property can be listed on the rental market – it’s not yet clear when the redress scheme might be introduced, as the government will need to introduce additional regulations.
Landlords will scrutinise tenancy applications more closely
A referencing platform warns landlords will scrutinise tenant applications more carefully as they list tips to navigate the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Canopy says the new rules will rebalance the rental market and give stronger protections to tenants.
The referencing platform says whilst the reforms are designed to make renting fairer, it could cause confusion and dispute as landlords and renters adjust to the changes.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will return to Parliament on the 14th of October in the final debate before gaining Royal Assent.
Canopy says with the bill looking to become law before the end of the year, they have set up a rent passport tool to help renters provide landlords with a clearer record of their rental history.
Gary Barker, CEO of Canopy, warns "landlords will scrutinise tenant applications more carefully and urge renters to prepare. The Renters’ Rights Bill is designed to protect tenants and rebalance the rental market, but it also means landlords will be scrutinising applications more carefully. Our Rent Passport is a powerful tool in this new environment, giving renters a way to demonstrate their reliability, rental history and financial responsibility up front. As landlords adapt to the end of no-fault evictions and tighter rules, being able to offer that reassurance will make all the difference.”