Renters’ Rights Act Mini Series Part 1: An Overview Of The Renters’ Rights Act 2025
This article/mini-series provides an explanation of the proposed changes which will come into effect following the implementation of the Renters’ Right Act 2025, namely on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in England.
The bill received Royal assent on the 27th of October 2025, and we expect to see parts of the Act come into force quicker than others.
When will the law come into effect?
The government provided a timeline of the different stages of the Act’s implementation, which is as follows:
Phase 1 (coming into force on 1 May 2026):
- Abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.
- Introduction of Assured Periodic Tenancies in PRS.
- Reform of possession grounds in the PRS.
- Limit rent increases to once a year in the PRS.
- Ban rental bidding and rent in advance.
- Make it illegal to discriminate against renters who have children or receive benefits.
- Require landlords in the PRS to consider tenant requests to rent with a pet.
- Strengthen both local council enforcement and rent repayment orders.
Phase 2 (coming into force late 2026):
Phase 2 will introduce the PRS Database and PRS Landlord Ombudsman. This is expected to occur in two key stages, beginning from late 2026.
The PRS Database will be mandatory for landlords, and there will be an annual fee. The database will contain key information, including, for example: contact details for the landlord, full details about the property, gas, electric and energy performance information. Tenants will have access to all the information about the property.
Tenants will also have access to a new redress service through a PRS Ombudsman. This scheme will be mandatory for landlords.
The HM Govt guide says that the development of the Ombudsman will happen in stages:
- Stage 1 will happen at least 12 to 18 months before implementation. The Secretary of State will choose a scheme administrator to run the new service, which will then need time to scale up.
- Stage 2 will require landlords to be members of the new service – we expect this to be in 2028, when the Secretary of State is confident the service is ready for delivery. We will make sure landlords are given sufficient notice in advance of requiring them to be members of the scheme.
Landlords will be required to fund the service. More details will follow.
Phase 3 (coming into force post 2026 onwards):
Phase 3 will introduce a new Decent Homes Standard in the PRS, proposed to be brought into force from 2035 or 2037.
The government guide says this will make rental properties:
Meet a minimum standard of housing quality and provide local councils with powers to take enforcement action if PRS properties fail to meet it. We consulted on the updated DHS between 2 July and 12 September 2025, and proposed that it be brought into force in either 2035 or 2037.
These standards have not yet been set out; the government is still considering its consultation responses. In short, Awaab’s Law, which applies to social housing landlords, will be applied to the PRS. The Government will implement a review of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
The guide says:
We will extend Awaab’s Law to the PRS, setting clear, legally enforceable timeframes within which PRS landlords must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards. This will empower tenants to challenge dangerous conditions in their homes. We will consult on the details of this policy, including implementation timescales, in due course
The Government has consulted on plans to require all domestic privately rented properties in England and Wales to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) of EPC C or equivalent by 2030 unless a valid exemption is in place. Further details will be set out in the government’s response to the consultation.
We will keep you updated on changes under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 as they come out. In part 2, we will examine the end of a landlord’s route to possession under Section 21 and the change to the possession process. If you want to learn more about the Renters’ Rights Act in general, you can get in touch with our qualified team by contacting us online or calling 01752 203500.
More details surrounding the government’s proposed implementation can be located here (note Annexe B): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renters-rights-act-2025-implementation-roadmap/implementing-the-renters-rights-act-2025-our-roadmap-for-reforming-the-private-rented-sector#annex-a-milestones
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