A New Era for Renters in England: What the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Means?

This week marks a landmark moment in the private rented sector in England. With Royal Assent granted on 27 October 2025, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (“RRA”) has now become law and is anticipated to come into force in Spring of 2026 — bringing to fruition the government’s promise to rebalance the relationship between the roughly 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords in England. 

What’s Changing?

Here are some of the key reforms that landlords (and tenants) will need to know about:

• “No-fault” evictions under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 have been abolished. Once the RRA comes into force landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants simply by serving a Section 21 notice. 
• Assured Shorthold Tenancies (“ASTs”) and fixed-term contracts will cease to exist and automatically convert to periodic (open-ended) tenancies. 
• Tenants will be able to end a tenancy with two months’ notice. 
• Landlords will need to provide an increased notice periods, for example four weeks in the event of rent arrears and four months in the event the landlord wishes to sell the property in order to end the tenancy.
• New protections on rent increases require landlords to give two months’ notice to tenants and tenants will have the ability to challenge increases that are above market rate. 
• The RRA introduces a ban on “rental bidding” which was often seen in places with particularly high demand for housing but limited supply, such as London. Landlords and letting agents will now be required to advertise the rent sought and will not be permitted to accept offers above the amount advertised. 
• Tenants will now have the right to request permission to have a pet in their rented home. Landlords must consider the request reasonably (though still may decline for valid reasons). 
• The extension of higher safety and decency standards in the private rented sector, including applying the “decent homes” standard and other obligations previously more common in social housing. 

Why Is It Changing?

For many renters, the system has long felt skewed. The government sought to address the power imbalance which meant tenants may have felt insecure — or worried that even if they paid their rent and looked after the property, they might still be asked to leave without reason. 

By removing Section 21 evictions and converting tenancies into more stable forms, the RRA gives renters more security and places more costly sanctions on landlords that do not comply with the new requirements.

At the same time, the reforms aim to modernise and improve the private rented sector, recognising that long term renting is often the norm in many people’s lives now (not just a temporary stopgap) and that renters deserve dignity, safety and fairness. 

The new framework demands a more structured, transparent approach to property management. For the landlords who already uphold high standards, transition should occur smoothly, but ongoing compliance will be key.

But It Is Not Without Challenges

Of course, any major overhaul brings questions and potential unintended consequences. For example:

• Some in the lettings sector have warned that increased regulatory burdens may reduce the willingness of smaller landlords to remain in the market — potentially squeezing supply and putting pressure on rents.
• The reforms do not (at this stage) impose direct rent-caps, which means rent levels will still be set by the market — though more transparency and challenge rights may keep these levels stable.
• Implementation will be crucial: many of the provisions will require secondary legislation, guidance and transitional arrangements. 

What Does This Mean For Possession Claims?

The RRA introduces significant changes to how landlords can make possession claims. Under this new legislation, landlords can no longer rely on “no-fault” evictions under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. However, landlords will have new grounds for possession to reclaim their property under the RRA. This means landlords can still seek possession for specific grounds such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or when they genuinely need to sell or move back into the property.

It is anticipated that there will be a transition period between now and the implementation of the RRA where landlords can still seek possession under the Housing Act 1988, but there is no clear date when the new legislation will take effect.

There is no news as yet as to if or when the Court service will be updating possession claims online or the Court forms for manual claims to allow for new claims to be made under RRA once this takes effect. 

For now, the old rules still apply. Our solicitors can advise and assist should you wish to bring a possession claim under the Housing Act 1988 before the RRA takes effect, from the pre-action stages through to enforcement.

Final Thought

The RRA represents the biggest shake-up of England’s private rented sector in a generation. For renters, it promises more security, stability and fairness. For landlords and agents, it signals a move to a more regulated and transparent sector.

How smoothly it all works out in practice remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: change has arrived. If you’re in the rental market — whether as renter, landlord or agent — now is the time to pay attention.

We offer advice and assistance to landlords only in respect of possession claims, should you require any assistance please contact our client services team by email [email protected] or by telephone on 01483 457500.