What changes on 1 May 2026: the Renters' Rights Act Phase 1 commencement

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in October 2024 and the first tranche of provisions commences on 1 May 2026. This is the biggest single-day change to the English private rental market since the Housing Act 1988. If you are a private landlord in England, everything below is relevant to you.

What actually commences on day one

1. Section 21 abolition. You can no longer serve a no-fault notice on or after 1 May 2026. Any Section 21 served before that date, if still valid, can still be relied upon — but the court will expect the notice to have been issued while the pre-commencement regime applied.
2. AST → APT auto-conversion. Every Assured Shorthold Tenancy in force on 1 May 2026 automatically becomes an Assured Periodic Tenancy. Fixed-term clauses fall away on that date. New tenancies granted after 1 May must be periodic from day one — the fixed-term AST ceases to be a lawful form.
3. Section 8 rebuild. The list of possession grounds is amended and extended. New Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell) requires four months' notice and a minimum 12-month tenancy. Ground 8 rent-arrears threshold moves to three months. ASB grounds are strengthened.
4. Section 13 becomes the only rent-rise route. One rise per 12-month rolling window. Tenant can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal for a market determination. No back-door review clauses.
5. Pet-request right. A tenant may make a written pet request. You must respond within 42 days, in writing, and can only refuse on reasonable grounds. You can require pet insurance.
6. Bidding ban. You may not invite, encourage or accept offers above the advertised rent. Advertise the price you will take — not a starting bid.
7. Discrimination ban. 'No DSS' is unlawful. So is a blanket refusal of families with children. Each application must be considered on its merits with a lawful reason for refusal.

What does NOT change on day one

• Deposit protection rules (DPS/MyDeposits/TDS, 30-day window, Prescribed Information)
• Right-to-Rent checks
• Gas Safety, EICR, EPC and smoke/CO alarm duties
• HMO licensing (mandatory, additional, selective) — separate regime under Housing Act 2004
• The three approved deposit-protection schemes

The Private Landlord Database

A mandatory England-wide register of private landlords and let properties. Phased regional rollout is expected later in 2026. Failure to register becomes a civil offence with penalties up to £40,000 and a bar on serving possession notices. We have a Registration Pack on pre-order — free to early buyers when the first region goes live.

Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law in the PRS

The Act extends both regimes to the private rented sector. The detailed standard and Awaab's Law timeframes are subject to a separate consultation. Our self-assessment and damp/mould response templates are on pre-order and ship free to pre-order buyers when the consultation outcomes are laid.

The PRS Ombudsman

A compulsory Ombudsman scheme for private landlords is provided for in the Act, expected ~2028. Membership and the associated levy will apply to every private landlord. Our Ombudsman response template is pre-ordered now and free to early buyers on appointment.

What to do this week

1. Buy the Renters' Rights Act Transition Pack (£39). It contains the tenant communication letter, the fixed-term-remaining FAQ, the rent-review timing playbook and the Section 21 cliff-edge decision tree.
2. Order the new APT Periodic Assured Tenancy template (£29) — delivered ready for 1 May.
3. If you might face arrears or breach, grab the Section 8 Notice Pack (£19) — every mandatory and discretionary ground pre-labelled.
4. Put a reminder in your calendar for 1 May 2026 to re-issue a How-to-Rent guide to each tenant with the new regime summary.
5. Decide now whether to convert any rent-review clauses to Section 13 notices or wait until the next tribunal-safe window.