The biggest change to renting in England in over 30 years. What changed on 1 May 2026, and what's still to come.
Updated 1 October 2026
What changed on 1 May 2026
No more Section 21
Landlords can no longer end a tenancy without giving a reason. To get a property back you serve a Section 8 notice using one of the grounds in law, such as selling, moving in yourself, or rent arrears. Most grounds need more notice than before, and some can't be used in the first year of a tenancy.
Every tenancy is periodic
Fixed terms have gone. Private tenancies now roll on month by month (or week by week) until the tenant gives notice or the landlord uses a possession ground. Tenants can leave with two months' notice.
Rent rises once a year, by Section 13 only
Rent can only go up once every 52 weeks, using a Form 4A notice with at least two months' warning. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer count. Tenants can challenge a rise at the First-tier Tribunal, which can't set the rent higher than you proposed.
Other changes
- You can't take more than one month's rent in advance.
- You can't refuse a tenant because they have children or receive benefits.
- You can't unreasonably refuse a request to keep a pet.
- Bidding wars are banned: you can't accept more than the advertised rent.
- New tenancies need written terms, and tenants must be given the government's Renters' Rights information sheet.
What's still to come
The landlord database, from 15 December 2026
Every private landlord will have to register themselves and each property on a new national database, region by region through 2027. There's a fee per property each year. See our guide to registering.
The Landlord Ombudsman
All private landlords will need to join a new ombudsman, giving tenants a way to resolve complaints without going to court. Membership will become compulsory later in the rollout.
The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law
Minimum standards for privately rented homes, and fixed deadlines for dealing with hazards such as damp and mould, are due to follow in the 2030s.
What to do now
- Check your tenancy agreements and give existing tenants the information sheet if you haven't already.
- Diarise rent reviews on a 52-week cycle and use Form 4A. The rent increase calculator works out the earliest date.
- Know which possession grounds might apply to you, and the notice each needs, before you need them.
- Get your certificates in order for the database: gas safety, electrical report and EPC.