The Housing ministry reveals date for implementation of the Act the measures of which are to be brought in during three phases.
England’s private rented sector will undergo its biggest overhaul in years, as the government confirms the Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1 May 2026.
The plan sets a firm timetable for landlords, agents and tenants ahead of what ministers describe as a generational shift in housing rights.
From that date, private renters will see the end of Section 21 notices.
Landlords wanting to evict should know that ongoing Section 21 claims will continue if started before the deadline.
Any notice served before 1 May next year must progress to court by 31 July to remain valid.
After the law’s introduction, landlords will need a specific reason to evict.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been under pressure for some time to name a date including from property industry figures – who have said agents need time to alter internal software and guidelines – but also Labour MPs worried that the ‘positive’ news of the Act getting Royal Assent was starting to fade.
A May 1st date has now been revealed along with details of which elements of the Renters’ Rights Bill will be introduced first, some of which remain vague.
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.”
Periodic tenancies
The new law will also see all tenancies becoming periodic, that’s a tenancy without an end date.
Renters can challenge rent rises under the law, and pet requests must be considered fairly.
Tenants can leave with two months’ notice, from day one.
Landlords will retain grounds to recover properties if they intend to sell, move in or tackle rent arrears and anti-social behaviour.
Rent price bidding wars will be illegal, as are rent rises of more than once within a 12-month period.
Landlords and agents will not be able to ask for more than one month’s payment in advance. And rejecting renters because they receive benefits or have children will become unlawful.
Councils get more powers
The government announcement also makes clear that councils will take responsibility for enforcing the new system.
From next May, they will be able to issue tougher penalties, with fines of up to £7,000 for breaches.
That figure can rise to £40,000 for repeat or serious violations.
Rent repayment orders will also apply, giving tenants or local authorities the ability to recover money when offences occur.
To help pay for enforcement, local housing authorities will receive a share of more than £18 million in additional funding to help them prepare.
The justice system will be supported with extra resource, including the creation of a digital process to streamline possession applications.
Three stages to roll out
The Renters’ Rights Act will unfold in three stages and later this year, the government will introduce a Private Landlord Ombudsman.
This will offer a free independent route to resolve tenant issues without going to court.
A new national database covering all landlords and rented homes will also begin to roll out area by area across England next year.
Ministers plan to apply a Decent Homes Standard to private rentals for the first time and are preparing a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to the sector.
The wider package includes upgrades to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and long-term plans for tighter EPC energy-efficiency rules.
The intention is that rented homes will reach EPC rating C or better by 2030, unless exempt.
Housing Minister Promises to Fix Court Eviction Delays
Plans to prepare the courts for Section 21 abolition have now been published, but the official ‘Roadmap’ leaves more questions than answers.
The Government says tenants and landlords will have “swift access to justice” once Section 21 ends on 1 May 2026, yet industry figures argue the latest announcement does little to address the concerns they have raised since the reforms were first proposed.
There were already huge delays in possession cases, and the switch to Section 8 is expected to increase pressure further, as landlords will have to prove their case in court, requiring evidence, hearings and judicial time.
Within its Roadmap the Government seeks to assuage those concerns, claiming courts and tribunals will be “supported with funding to ensure they have the resources and capacity they need to handle the additional workload” – but the newly published Roadmap offers no figures, no timetable for increased capacity, and no plan for reducing the existing backlog.
The Government is also promising a new digital end-to-end possession service. A rough timetable is given, with rollout beginning in 2026, but it will be “introduced in stages” and will not be fully operational when Section 21 ends.
Until then, existing possession processes will simply be “updated” — meaning the current paper-based system will be amended to reflect new Section 8 rules, but not fundamentally improved or sped up.
The NRLA says the lack of clarity leaves landlords without meaningful assurance. Chief Executive Ben Beadle said “without a clear plan to improve the speed and efficiency of the courts, the Government risks creating a system that simply cannot cope.”
And with Section 21 no-fault evictions due to be abolished in less than a year, time is running out.