Renters Rights Act
Renters’ Rights Act – Landlord Guidance 2026
A practical overview of key changes and what this means for you
Section 21 – Critical Timing Warning
Section 21 is being abolished from 1 May 2026. Where a valid Section 21 notice has already been served before this date, landlords will still have a limited window to issue possession proceedings. However, proceedings must be issued by 31 July 2026. After this date, Section 21 will no longer be available, even if a notice has already been served. This is a hard deadline and missing it will result in the loss of this route entirely. Failure to act in time will permanently remove the Section 21 option.
Key Timeline
30 April 2026 – Last day to serve a valid Section 21 notice
1 May 2026 – Section 21 abolished / all tenancies become periodic
31 May 2026 – Deadline to provide either the Information Sheet or written tenancy terms
31 July 2026 – Deadline to issue possession proceedings under Section 21
Renters’ Rights Information Sheet (Mandatory Requirement)
The Government has introduced a new Renters’ Rights Information Sheet which replaces the How to Rent guide. This must be provided where there is any written tenancy agreement or written record of terms. It must be provided to each named tenant as the official PDF document and not by way of a link. It must be served by 31 May 2026. Failure to comply may result in a financial penalty of up to £7,000.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026
No Written Tenancy Agreement – Written Terms Requirement
Where there is no written tenancy agreement and the tenancy is purely verbal, landlords must provide written tenancy information instead. This must include rent, parties, property address and start date and must be provided by 31 May 2026. This requirement applies instead of the Information Sheet.
Only one applies: written tenancy = Information Sheet, verbal tenancy = written terms.
Compliance – Increased Importance
Landlords must ensure deposit protection, prescribed information, EPC and gas safety compliance (including start and renewal certificates) are all complete and evidenced. Failures may weaken possession claims and lead to delays or counterclaims.
Possession – Practical Impact
From May 2026, possession claims rely entirely on Section 8 grounds. This will likely increase timescales, defended claims and evidential scrutiny.
Pets – Tenant Requests
From 1 May 2026, tenants will have the right to request permission to keep a pet. Landlords must consider such requests reasonably and must not unreasonably refuse consent. In practice, blanket ‘no pets’ policies are unlikely to be acceptable, and each request should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Landlords may be able to require appropriate safeguards, such as insurance covering pet-related damage.
Rent Increases
From 1 May 2026, rent increases must be via Section 13, once per year, with two months notice and at market level.
What You Should Do Now
Review tenancies urgently, consider serving Section 21 before 30 April, provide the correct document by 31
May, ensure compliance and act early. Be prepared to consider and respond to tenant pet requests.
