RENTERS' RIGHTS ACT 2026

NLA members can contact the NLA legal team for free advice on 0800 030 2013

• Section 21 Notices are no longer valid from 1st May 2026 - You will require a legal reason to evict a tenant with a section 8 notice


• Advance rent - You can only request a maximum of one month's rent in advance


• Rent increase - You can put the rent up once a year. You must provide at least 2 months' notice before you do so


• Notice period - Your tenant must provide you with at least 2 months' notice to end a periodic assured tenancy


• Pets - Your tenant will have the right to ask you for permission to keep a pet. You can only deny this request if you have a good reason


• Tenancy- You do not need to draft a new tenancy agreement for existing tenants however a new periodic agreement is required for tenancies from 1st May 2026


• You are unable to evict tenants within the initial 12 months of a new tenancy. After 12 months, you will need to provide 4 months’ notice

EVICTIONS - IMPORTANT INFO

You can no longer use the Section 21 notice to evict your tenant after 1st May 2026. You must use a Section 8 notice if your tenant owes you rent or you are selling the property.
There are many additional reasons that can enable you to evict a tenant via the Section 8 route.

Landlords can still issue a Section 21 notice up to the 30th April 2026 and will have until 31st July 2026 to apply for a possession order.
We advise you to transfer the possession order to the High Court under Section 42 of the County Courts Act 1984 as this will speed up the process.
Contact our legal team asap if you require assistance with this as the clock is ticking!!

If you have included a break clause, you will no longer be able to use this to end the tenancy from May 1st 2026.

ADVANCE RENT & RENT INCREASES

Councils will be able to fine landlords who ask for or accept more therefore it is important that you do not make an agreement to take advance payments from tenants. You can only increase the rent for your tenant once a year. You must provide your tenant with at least 2 months' notice before you increase their rent increase.
Historical tenancy clauses that relate to rent increases will no longer apply from May 1st 2026.
Your tenant can request a tribunal hearing if they believe that the rent increase is too much.
The tribunal can set a lower rent if they agree that the increase is too excessive & they can cap the rent at a pre-agreed figure. NLA members will have free access to our specialist landlord legal team in the event of a tribunal request.

POSSESSION GROUNDS

Possession grounds will be extended, making it easier for landlords to evict a tenant when they want to sell the property or move into the property.
The new changes will also make it easier to evict anti social tenants.

INFORMATION SHEET 2026

You must provide an information sheet to your tenant before 31 May 2026, or you may face a fine of up to £7,000.
This information sheet must be sent to all tenants in an Assured Shorthold Tenancy or written agreement created before 1st May 2026.
The information sheet must be printed & sent as a hard copy or as a digital attachment. The form can be downloaded from the government website.
Click to download here.

FIXED TERM TENANCIES

As of 1st May 2026 a fixed term AST will become a periodic assured tenancy. This means that it will not have a set end date. It will be a rolling monthly or weekly tenancy. Your tenant will be obligated to provide 2 months' notice if they wish to end their tenancy. You are entitled to agree to a shorter notice period if both parties agree.

SECTION 21 NOTICE

Where a Section 21 notice has been served before May 1st 2026 then this will remain valid & can be enforced. The notice is not valid after 1st May 2026 & landlords must then rely on a Section 8 notice.

PENALTIES

Landlords who fail to comply with this legislation can find themselves open to fines of between £7,000 and £40,000. These penalties are enforced by the local authority.
Members will be sent a full digital booklet outlining every aspect of The Renter's Rights Act in March 2026. We advise you to contact our legal team should you have any doubts or queries to ensure compliance.

CONTACT US