The Renters' Rights Act: what actually changed for tenants

You have found a flat, the agent wants a holding deposit by Friday, and somewhere in the back of your mind is a headline about Section 21 being gone. It is. But the Act changed several other things at the same time, some already in force and some still on the way, and the difference matters when you are about to put your name on a contract. Here is what the law now says, and what it does not say yet.

Is Section 21 really abolished?

Yes, in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 got Royal Assent in October 2025 and the first phase, including the end of Section 21, commenced on 1 May 2026. A landlord can no longer serve the old two month "no fault" notice and get possession without giving a reason.

Evictions now go through Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, so the landlord has to rely on a ground. Some are mandatory (serious rent arrears, the landlord or a close relative moving in, the landlord selling up) and some are discretionary, where a judge decides. Notice periods are longer than they were, and a landlord cannot use the selling or moving in grounds in the first twelve months of a tenancy. Scotland and Wales have their own rules, so this is an England article.

What does a periodic tenancy mean for me?

All assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on commencement day, including existing ones. There is no fixed term any more.

You pay rent monthly and can leave by giving two months' notice at any point. Landlords cannot ask for more than one month's rent in advance, and the Tenant Fees Act 2019 still caps holding deposits at one week's rent and tenancy deposits at five weeks' rent for most lets, protected in a scheme within 30 days. Advertising a rent and then taking bids above it is banned, which is a relief for anyone who rented in London in 2023.

How can my rent go up now?

Once a year, by a Section 13 notice, giving at least two months' notice. A clause saying rent rises by 5% each April is no longer enforceable.

If the proposed figure looks above what the flat would fetch on the open market, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent starts. The tribunal sets a market rent and cannot go above the landlord's figure.

What is still coming?

Two big pieces. The private rented sector database, where every landlord and let property in England must be registered, opens on 15 December 2026, region by region, through to late 2027. A landlord ombudsman follows, with membership expected to become compulsory in 2028. Once live, you should be able to look up a landlord and see whether they are registered and whether they have enforcement action against them.

Further out, the Decent Homes Standard is being extended to private rentals, and so is Awaab's Law, which sets deadlines for fixing damp and mould.

What can I check before signing?

Ask the agent: "Is the landlord registered on the PRS database yet, and which ombudsman scheme are they in?" If the database is not open when you read this, ask for the landlord's name and address instead; you are entitled to it under Section 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Then: "Which deposit scheme will you use, and can I see the gas safety certificate, the EPC and the electrical report?" An EPC below E cannot legally be let. Ask whether the flat is licensed if the council runs a selective licensing scheme, and what the last tenant paid. Under the Act the answer no longer needs to be awkward.