Renters’ Rights Act compliance
The Renters’ Rights Act, as a landlord’s checklist
On 1 May 2026 every assured shorthold tenancy in England became an assured periodic tenancy.
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No end dates, no Section 21, and a written information sheet owed to every existing tenant by 31 May 2026.
Every tenancy changed on the same day
On 1 May 2026 every assured shorthold tenancy in England became an assured periodic tenancy.
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No end dates, no Section 21, and a written information sheet owed to every existing tenant by 31 May 2026.
The rules moved at every stage of a let
Advertising needs an asking price, rent before signing is banned, pet requests need a reason to refuse, rent rises go through Section 13 once a year, and possession needs a ground.
The penalties went up with it
Rent repayment orders now reach two years’ rent, and the list of offences they cover has grown.
Send the information sheet
Every tenant with a written agreement was owed the government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
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Log when it went.
Check how you advertise
An asking price on every advert, no invitation to bid, and no rent taken before the agreement is signed.
Keep the dated record
Rent, certificates, notices and conversations, each with its date — the grounds for possession all run on evidence.
Where it sits
Rules summarised from the government’s Renters’ Rights Act overview for landlords (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/renters-rights-act-an-overview-for-landlords), published 1 May 2026. This is not legal advice; where a tenancy is unusual, take advice.
LetBuddy sits beside the Act, not in place of advice: it holds the tenancy’s dates, ledger, certificates and case record, and fills Form 4A for a Section 13 increase. It does not decide which ground applies to your case.
Common questions
When did the Renters’ Rights Act come into force?
The main changes came into effect on 1 May 2026, in England.
Do I need new tenancy agreements?
Not if the agreement is written: you give the tenant the government’s information sheet instead, which was due by 31 May 2026. A tenancy that is entirely verbal needs written information about its key terms.
Can I still use Section 21?
No. Possession now needs a ground under Section 8, with the notice period that ground carries — four months in many cases, shorter for some.
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Read this next
- Section 21 abolitionWhat replaced no-fault eviction in England, and what a claim needs now.
- The Renters' Rights Act information sheetOwed to every existing written tenancy by 31 May 2026, and how to show it went.
- Assured periodic tenanciesNo end dates and no renewals: what rolling tenancies mean for rent and certificates.
- Rent repayment ordersUp to two years' rent since 1 May 2026, for more offences. What triggers one.