Three quarters of landlords have made no preparations for the abolition of Section 21 despite major reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act set to take effect from 1 May 2026.
New research from Inventory Base suggests awareness of the legislation is relatively high, but practical readiness across the private rented sector remains low.
The survey of UK private landlords found only 20% feel highly confident in understanding how the Act will affect their business, while almost a quarter admit they are not confident at all.
Although 92% are aware that Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will be scrapped, just 12% feel prepared to rely on the new possession grounds. In total, 75% say they have made no preparations, with only a small minority reviewing documentation, seeking legal advice or updating internal processes.
TENANCY STRUCTURES
The reforms will also replace fixed-term tenancies with periodic agreements, limit rent increases to once every 12 months, cap rent in advance and require landlords to consider tenant requests for pets.
Yet 69% have no plans to adjust tenancy structures, and 76% have not changed how much rent they request upfront.
NOT A COSMETIC CHANGE
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, Operations Director at Inventory Base, says: “Most landlords know the Renters’ Rights Act is coming, but far fewer have grasped what it means in practice.
“This is not a cosmetic change; it rewrites how possession works, how rent is handled, how tenancies are structured, and what landlords will need to evidence if something goes wrong.
“The margin for error is shrinking fast.”
“The margin for error is shrinking fast and those who wait until spring 2026 will find themselves dealing with delays, disputes, and income risk that could have been avoided with basic preparation now.
“Agents and industry suppliers will be pivotal – not as messengers, but as the ones putting proper systems, documentation and defensible processes in place before the new rules bite.”
