Governmental roadmap for implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 confirmed

The government has announced 1 May 2026 as the date for implementation of the first phase of tenancy reforms set out by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (the Act) for the private rented sector (PRS) with two further phases to follow at dates to be announced.

Phase 1 which will affect the PRS only

On 1 May 2026, the following reforms will become effective:

• The use of section 21 "no fault evictions" will be abolished
• Assured shorthold tenancies will also be abolished, with Assured Periodic Tenancies replacing them
• Possession grounds will be reformed. For more detail on grounds for possession, see our article here
• Landlords will need to follow the revised section 13 procedure to increase rent, giving at least two months' notice of a rent increase, and rent may only be increased once per year
• Bidding wars will be banned, and landlords will not be able to request more than one month's rent in advance
• Landlords will not be able to discriminate against tenants with children, or who receive benefits, including withholding information about a property, stopping someone from viewing it or refusing to grant a tenancy
• Landlords will have 28 days to consider a tenant's request to rent with a pet, and will need to provide a valid reason if they refuse
• Local authority enforcement powers will be expanded, and Councils will need to report on enforcement activity

IMPORTANT NOTE: the above reforms will not come into force on 1 May 2026 for the social housing sector – implementation is reserved for a later date which is yet to be confirmed, although it is anticipated it will be in 2027.

Secondary legislation to implement the above reforms, including regulations related to exempt aspects such as private purpose-built student accommodation, will follow in Spring 2026.

Effects of Phase 1 implementation

For PRS tenancies entered into from 1 May 2026 onwards, landlords will need to provide certain information to their tenants. Secondary legislation prescribing this information will be set out in due course, with the first draft anticipated in January 2026. A new suite of prescribed forms will also be introduced to reflect the tenancy reforms, which landlords will need to use to ensure notices served under the tenancy are valid.

For existing PRS tenancies, landlords will not need to issue a new tenancy where there is already a written tenancy agreement in place. However, landlords will be required to issue a government-published "Information Sheet" by 31 May 2026 at the latest, detailing the changes made by the Act. The Information Sheet is expected to be available online in March 2026. Any assured shorthold tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies, and fixed terms will not be available.

If there is a verbal arrangement without a written tenancy agreement, landlords will be required to provide a written summary of the main terms also by 31 May 2026 at the latest.

The last available date for PRS landlords to serve a notice pursuant to section 21 will be 30 April 2026. From 1 May 2026 onwards, landlords will need to rely on the updated grounds for possession in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (as amended).

Where a landlord has served a valid section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 but has not yet issued proceedings, the assured shorthold status of the tenancy will be retained and the landlord will need to issue proceedings by the earlier of:

1. six months from the date on which the section 21 notice was given; or
2. 31 July 2026 (being the last working day that is three months from 1 May 2026).

If proceedings reliant on a section 21 notice have been commenced prior to 1 May 2026, the tenancy will remain an assured shorthold tenancy until the proceedings have been completed.

Further steps to be taken by government

The roadmap identifies that there will be a need for guidance for both tenants and landlords on the reforms. Landlord guidance on the new grounds for possession has already been published, with broader tenant guidance to follow in April 2026. A communications campaign will also be run by government in April 2026.

Government has also said that the justice system will be supported with funding to ensure that they have the resources and capacity to deal with additional work generated by the Act, including a digital possession service for the County Courts. An alternative body or mechanism for dealing with initial rent determinations has also been tabled, to support the capacity of the First-tier Tribunal who currently deals with challenges to rent increases.

Phase 2: Stage 1, late 2026

The PRS Database will commence roll out in late 2026, with the exact date to be confirmed. It will be mandatory for PRS landlords to sign up to the Database, with the payment of an annual fee. The amount of the fee will be confirmed closer to the launch date.

The detail that PRS landlords will be required to provide on registration with the Database will be confirmed by secondary legislation. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government has however set out that it considers that, as a minimum, the following will be required:

1. the landlord's contact details
2. property details; and
3. safety information (such as gas, electric and energy performance certificates).

The government has also indicated that implementation of the Act for the social housing sector will take place as part of Phase 2, but has not yet confirmed any dates beyond an indication that this could be in 2027. Consultation with social housing landlords and the Regulator of Social Housing will inform implementation dates for social housing.

Phase 2: Stage 2 – 2027-2028

The PRS Landlord Ombudsman will be established, providing a redress scheme for PRS tenants and supporting landlords with training and guidance with complaints handling.

Similar to the PRS Database, the Ombudsman joining scheme will be mandatory. It will be funded through "a fair and proportionate charging model", the details of which will be confirmed closer to the launch date.

It is anticipated that the scheme administrator will be chosen 12-18 months before implementation, with landlords being asked to become members of the Ombudsman service in 2028. Notice will then be given before it is formally launched.

Phase 3: dates to be confirmed

Aspects of Phase 3 include the introduction of a Decent Homes Standard to the PRS, ensuring properties meet a minimum standard of housing quality, which can be enforced. Consultation has already taken place, and the Standard is likely to be brought into force in either 2035 or 2037. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System will also be reviewed as part of the implementation of the Standard.

Awaab's Law will also be extended to the PRS, with a consultation on the details of this policy to take place in the first instance.

What do PRS landlords need to do now?

Over the next six months landlords and their agents should review their tenancy agreements, policies and procedures to ensure that they are fully compliant ahead of Phase 1 of implementation. While the Information Sheet and details of tenancies entered into from 1 May 2026 onwards is awaited, landlords can be taking steps to ensure that their standard forms of tenancy are updated, such as removing any references to fixed term or the ability to terminate on the basis of a section 21 notice.

Many PRS landlords utilise section 21 notices, and landlords considering seeking possession of properties will need to be conscious of the short timeframe within which to serve a section 21 notice before the ability to do so will be lost. Landlords should also be familiarising themselves with the new grounds for possession.

While the PRS Database and Ombudsman are schemes that will be developed later in 2026, as both will be compulsory, landlords should ensure that information and documentation regarding their properties is securely, centrally stored and kept updated. This will avoid concerns about gathering relevant information within limited timescales once the requirements are announced.

The government will continue to issue guidance, which landlords and agents should be reviewing and seeking advice on if they are unsure as to the effects of the reforms.

The full government roadmap for implementation can be viewed here.

For further comments on aspects of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, see the Trowers hub.