Tenancies
- Existing and new tenancies are assured periodic tenancies. They run on a rolling basis with no end date.
- Tenants can end the tenancy by giving two months’ notice.
- If you had a written tenancy agreement, you didn’t need to change it, but you had to give tenants the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. Verbal tenancies needed written information about the key terms by the same date.
Letting a property
- You can’t ask for, encourage or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed.
- You can’t discriminate against people on benefits or with children.
- Adverts must show an asking rent. You can’t encourage bidding or accept offers above it.
- Tenants can ask to keep a pet, and you can only refuse for a valid reason.
Rent increases
Use Form 4A, the section 13 process, with at least 2 months’ notice. You can increase the rent no more than once a year, and tenants can challenge an increase above the open market rent.
Ending a tenancy
- You need one or more legal grounds for possession and a section 8 notice. Notice is often 4 months, shorter for some grounds.
- You can’t evict to sell or move in during the first 12 months of a tenancy.
- For rent arrears, the court must give possession if the tenant owes 3 months’ rent.
- Antisocial behaviour has a shorter notice period, and you can apply to court straight away.
- A court will only give possession where any deposit was protected properly, returned, or a court challenge about it has been settled. Registration on the PRS database is also needed to use certain possession grounds.
Enforcement
Councils have new powers to investigate. More offences can lead to a rent repayment order, and the maximum is now 2 years’ rent instead of 1.
Still to come
- The PRS database, opening region by region from 15 December 2026. Check your deadline.
- A Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman for tenant complaints.
- The Decent Homes Standard for private rented homes.
- Awaab’s Law for private tenancies. What’s proposed.