Live updates on government guidance changes for landlords
We manage properties for London landlords at 6% — no exit fees, no traps. The Renters' Rights Act changes are included.
Key actions before 1 May 2026. Tick them off as you go.
The guidance now covers how rent increases work across the 1 May 2026 changeover. If you served a valid rent increase notice under the old rules before 1 May, the increase will still apply even if the new rent starts after that date. From 1 May, any new rent increase must use the section 13 process with Form 4A, giving at least two months' notice, and you can only increase rent once per year.
If you let to students, ground 4A allows you to regain possession where the property is needed for new students in line with the academic year — but only if you told the tenant at the start of the tenancy that you may use this ground.
The written information guidance page now includes links to the relevant documents landlords will need for new tenancies from 1 May.
The guidance clarifies how deposit protection works under the new possession rules. If you want to use most grounds for possession after 1 May 2026, the court will check that you placed the deposit in a government-approved scheme, complied with the scheme requirements, and gave the tenant the correct information. Alternatively, you must have returned the deposit in full (or with agreed deductions), or any court challenge about the deposit must have been resolved.
The only exceptions are grounds 7A and 14 (antisocial behaviour), which do not require deposit compliance.
The fees guidance now covers council tax and TV licence payments within the tenancy. The rules on what you can and cannot charge tenants as part of the fees regime have been expanded to clarify how utility-related payments should be handled.
Separately, the possession enforcement guidance now includes details on Form N244 — the application you need if a tenant breaches a suspended possession order for reasons other than rent arrears or other payment of money, or if more than six years have passed since the original order. Court fees include £148 for a warrant application and £119 to £404 for permission applications after six years.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in October 2025. Most provisions take effect on 1 May 2026. The government has published 25 detailed guidance pages for landlords covering everything from tenancy types to enforcement penalties. Here is what you need to know.
All assured shorthold tenancies automatically convert to assured periodic tenancies on or after 1 May 2026. These tenancies roll on a periodic basis with no end date. Tenants can leave with two months' notice at any point, unless a shorter notice period is agreed.
You must provide a government information sheet to every existing tenant by 31 May 2026. For any new tenancy from 1 May, you must also give tenants a written statement setting out the key terms. If your current agreement is verbal-only, you will need to provide full written tenancy terms instead.
Rent increases are limited to once per year, not within the first 12 months, and must use the section 13 process with Form 4A, giving at least two months' notice. The increase must reflect open-market rent — tenants can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal, which can set the rent at the same level, higher or lower than you proposed. You cannot request rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. Deposits are capped at five weeks' rent, or six weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more.
Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are abolished. From 1 May 2026, you cannot serve a section 21 notice to end a tenancy, even if the tenancy agreement says you can.
You must now use section 8 notices and cite a specific ground for possession — such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or wanting to sell or move in. Notice periods are typically four months, and you cannot evict to sell or move in during the first 12 months of a tenancy. There is a narrow exception for student housing under ground 4A.
You must never forcibly remove a tenant. Failing to follow the proper legal process risks criminal liability for illegal eviction.
You cannot discriminate against prospective tenants because they have children or receive benefits. This applies to advertising, viewings, and tenancy decisions — and extends to anyone acting on your behalf, including letting agents. You could receive a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for each offence.
Tenants can now request to keep a pet. You must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot refuse without a fair reason — such as another tenant's allergies, the property being too small for the pet, the pet being illegal to own, or freeholder restrictions. Personal dislike or general concerns about potential damage are not valid grounds for refusal.
Rental bidding is banned. You must publish an asking price when advertising and cannot encourage or accept offers above it.
Breaches of the new rules — such as misrepresenting a tenancy as fixed-term, failing to provide required notices, or attempting to end a tenancy verbally — carry financial penalties of up to £7,000.
More serious offences can attract penalties of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution. These include reletting a property within the 12-month restricted period after using certain possession grounds, knowingly misusing possession grounds, or repeating breaches within five years. Rent repayment orders now cover up to two years' rent, and the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will handle tenant complaints.
We stay on top of every rule change so you don't have to. Full property management for London landlords at 6% — no exit fees.
This information is adapted from GOV.UK, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
