Renters' Rights Act 2025 — Phase 1 commencement
Transition readiness pack
LetSafe UK

Renters' Rights Act 2025

England

The biggest shake-up of private renting in 40 years. Templates drafted against every commenced provision, stamped with their reviewed-against date, and updated free as further phases commence.

Primary statute
Renters' Rights Act 2025 (c. 23) — Housing Act 1988 as amended

Phase 1 commences 1 May 2026. Existing ASTs auto-convert to periodic assured tenancies on that date. Templates below are already drafted against the new regime.

  1. When
    1 May 2026
    Phase 1 commencement

    APT becomes the default tenancy; ASTs auto-convert; Section 21 abolished; Section 13 becomes the sole rent-rise route.

  2. When
    Late 2026
    Private Landlord Database

    Phased regional rollout of mandatory landlord registration and property registration — renewal fees and civil penalties apply.

  3. When
    Consultation pending
    Decent Homes Standard & Awaab's Law

    Extended to the PRS — our pre-order templates are drafted and will ship the moment the consultation outcomes are laid.

  4. When
    ~2028
    PRS Ombudsman

    Compulsory membership for landlords once appointed. Our Ombudsman response template is pre-ordered now and free to early buyers.

Hero bundle · save £104.97

New Landlord Starter Pack

Everything a first-time landlord needs to grant a compliant tenancy in England from 1 May 2026 — now including the Guarantor Agreement for student and young-professional lets.

£49£153.97
Open

Section 21 is gone

No-fault evictions are abolished on commencement. All possession routes to the new or amended Section 8 grounds — our pack walks you through each one.

One rent rise a year

Section 13 becomes the only legitimate rent-increase mechanism on a periodic tenancy. Our pack gives you the form, a comparable-rent workbook and the tribunal referral explainer.

Pets, bidding, discrimination

New statutory right for tenants to request a pet. Rental bidding wars banned. Discrimination against benefit claimants or families with children unlawful. Our tenancy has the compliant wording baked in.

Must do

  • Issue the prescribed written statement of terms at the start of a new tenancy
  • Protect the deposit in DPS, MyDeposits or TDS within 30 days and serve Prescribed Information
  • Complete a documented Right to Rent check before the tenancy starts
  • Issue a valid EICR, gas-safety certificate, EPC and How-to-Rent guide on or before move-in
  • Respond to a tenant's pet request within the statutory window

Don't do

  • Serve a Section 21 notice after commencement — it's abolished
  • Invite or accept bids above the advertised rent
  • Advertise 'No DSS' or refuse on the basis of having children
  • Demand more than 5 weeks' rent as deposit (6 weeks if annual rent ≥ £50k)
  • Let an unlicensed HMO if the property falls inside an additional or selective licensing area

England templates

Shop all England

Compliance

ComplianceShips 1 May 2026

Landlord Annual Compliance Checklist

Annual walk-through of every compliance touchpoint: gas, electrical, EPC, smoke/CO, Right-to-Rent, deposit, licensing, database registration.

£19
View
ComplianceLive now

Right-to-Rent Check Pack

Checklist, acceptable document list, and retention template for R2R checks.

£14.99
View
ComplianceLive now

Inventory & Schedule of Condition

Room-by-room template that stands up at deposit dispute.

£19
View
CompliancePre-order

Private Landlord Database Registration Pack

Walkthrough for when mandatory landlord database registration arrives in your region.

£9
View
CompliancePre-order

Decent Homes Self-Assessment

Self-assessment against the extended Decent Homes Standard once finalised.

£19
View
CompliancePre-order

Awaab's Law Response Template

Statutory-timeline response pack for damp/mould hazard complaints.

£19
View
CompliancePre-order

PRS Ombudsman Complaint Response

Structured response to an Ombudsman enquiry with evidence bundle index.

£19
View
ComplianceLive now

HMO Licensing Application Pack

Mandatory / additional / selective licensing decision tree and application support.

£29
View
CompliancePre-order

EPC C Upgrade Planner

Decision memo and cost-plan template for raising an E-rated property to the expected Band C minimum energy efficiency standard. Captures works scope, indicative spend, payback period and exemption grounds.

£19
View
ComplianceLive now

Self-Service Tenant Reference Pack

Template pack for landlords running their own informal tenant references — identity, employment, previous-landlord and affordability checks. Not a regulated credit check — for that, use a regulated partner.

£14.99
View

FAQ — England

Does the Renters' Rights Act apply to my existing tenancy?

Yes — on the Phase 1 commencement date (1 May 2026) all existing ASTs automatically convert to periodic assured tenancies. Fixed-term clauses fall away. Our £39 Transition Pack explains exactly what to tell your tenant and how rent-review, deposit and notice timelines change.

Can I still evict a tenant after Section 21 is abolished?

Yes, via Section 8. The Act amended and added grounds — including a new Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell, 4 months' notice, 12-month tenancy minimum). Our Section 8 Notice Pack includes every mandatory and discretionary ground with the correct notice period and arrears threshold.

Do I have to accept a tenant's pet?

You must consider the request and can only refuse on reasonable grounds. Our Pet Addendum template gives you a structured way to say yes with the right safeguards (insurance, house rules, damage schedule) — or document a reasonable refusal.

Is my fixed-term tenancy still valid?

Any fixed-term AST granted before 1 May 2026 survives until commencement and then converts to periodic. Any new tenancy on or after that date must be periodic from day one — fixed terms are no longer lawful for new assured tenancies.

What about HMO licensing?

Mandatory licensing (5+ persons, 2+ households, shared facilities) is unchanged by the Act. Additional and selective schemes remain at the council's discretion. Our HMO Licensing Application Pack walks you through the decision tree and the application.

When is the Decent Homes Standard coming to the PRS?

The Act extends it, but the detailed standard is subject to separate consultation. We're drafting the self-assessment template now and it will ship free to pre-order buyers the moment the consultation outcome is laid in Parliament.

Not in England?

Tenancy law is set at national level. Pick your jurisdiction to see the right documents.