Renters Rights Act Gains Royal Assent - What Do We Know So Far?

The Renters’ Rights Act will be the biggest change to the private rented sector for a generation.
 

The legislation was recently granted Royal Assent on October 28th 2025 so we wanted to lay out what changes the legislation will bring once it is implemented.

Assured Periodic Tenancies

On the whole, tenancy agreements will have no fixed end date.

This also applies to current tenancies, meaning they will also switch to “assured periodic tenancies” that will run until either the landlord or tenant gives notice to terminate the tenancy.

Furthermore, as long as the terms of the agreement aren’t broken, tenants will have the security of a 12 -month protected period at the beginning of their tenancy.

Eviction Grounds

Section 21 notices will be abolished.

This means landlords will be required to state a specific reason for wanting to evict tenants. This reasoning must be in line with the set of options laid out within the legislation.

Some of these reasons will be mandatory – i.e the tenants will have to agree – but others will be for the courts to decide. 

Rent

The marketed rent will be the highest rent that can be accepted on a property. 

Therefore, it won’t be permissible to accept a higher rent than is advertised at, even if a prospective tenant was to offer more.

Landlords will be able to increase the rent once a year but tenants will have the right to challenge this via the First-tier tribunal if they believe the new rent to be above the market value relative to area and property type.

Discrimination

These are measures brought in to tackle overt and indirect discrimination against benefit recipients and people with children.

However, landlords will still be able to use referencing as a means to mitigate risk based on the tenants’ affordability and sustainability of the property relating to the tenants’ needs e.g if letting to a family with children would constitute overcrowding.

Pets In Lets

Now tenants will have the right to request a pet and landlords will be required to provide a valid reason for refusing. An example of a valid reason for refusal would be if the management company of the building/development refuses pets as part of the lease.

Permission to have a pet will depend on the specific request - it won’t give open permission for the tenant to have any pet of their choice.

Tenant’s can’t offer or be asked to pay a deposit that is any higher than the equivalent of 5 weeks rent.

Decent Homes Standards & Awaab’s Law

The Decent Homes Standard, that was introduced for social housing, now will be formally applied to the private rented sector.

Properties will have to meet a range of listed requirements to ensure they are safe, well maintained, free from hazards and fit for human habitation.

This includes compliance with Awaab’s Law which focuses on the response to issues around damp and mould. This includes the fact that if a tenant reports an issue with damp and/or mould this must be investigated within 24 hours.

Enforcement

Local authorities are obliged to enforce new offences and penalties under the Renters Rights Act (RRA). Any offence under the RRA can be dealt with by way of a civil penalty with most penalties being £7,000 for a first offence, rising to £40,000 for repeat offending.

Landlord Accountability

Landlords will be required to register themselves and their properties on a nationwide database, even if they use a letting agent.

This platform will provide guidance as well as acting as a means to demonstrate compliance with Landlords being held accountable via an Ombudsman, who will provide quick, fair and binding redress for tenants’ complaints against landlords.

We’re Here to Help!

Our team is completing comprehensive training, supported by major investments in the latest property management technology. We’ve strengthened our tenant referencing process, introduced rent protection, and upgraded our inspection systems to comply with The Decent Homes Standard.

We’re also:

• Providing clear guidance on possession grounds

• Monitoring local enforcement and penalty risks

• Ensuring your rent remains competitive through ongoing market reviews

• Responding swiftly to serious hazards under Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard

• Offering regular updates on new legislation

If you have any questions feel free to call us on 0161 834 8486 or email office@julietwist.co.uk and we will happily help you with any queries you may have.

Written by Joseph Climance