Leaders is urging landlords across England and Wales to get ahead of what will be one of the most significant overhauls of rental legislation in decades.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill now passed into law the first stage of the Renters’ Rights Act is due to take effect on 1 May 2026.
Leaders is encouraging landlords who are not already working with them to start preparing now, offering free Landlord Health Checks to help identify gaps before the changes come into force.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will fundamentally reshape the private rented sector. Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will be abolished, bringing an end to fixed-term tenancies and replacing them with a single rolling, periodic model. Notice periods will change, new possession grounds will apply and rent increases will be limited to once a year, with tenants able to challenge rises they consider unreasonable.
PRACTICAL REVIEW
Landlords will also be required to publish asking rents and avoid bidding wars. Alongside this comes a package of enhanced tenant protections, including the right to request pets, a ban on blanket refusals for tenants on benefits or with children, and a new national database designed to tighten oversight of the sector.
For many landlords, the reforms will mean revisiting tenancy agreements, documentation and compliance processes to ensure they meet the new standards.
COMPLEX FRAMEWORK
Allison Thompson (main picture, inset), National Lettings Managing Director at Leaders, says: “This is a landmark moment for the private rented sector. The Renters’ Rights Act ushers in a new era of fairness and clarity, and while the changes can feel daunting, they also offer landlords a chance to modernise their business and enhance tenant relationships.
“Renting is already governed by more than 180 laws and 400 regulations, and this Act adds another layer of complexity to the existing framework.”
