After much anticipation the Renters Rights Acts 2025 is here.

On 27th October 2025 the Act received Royal Assent and passed into legislation.  

With the intention of overhauling the private rented sector in England the Act has brought about sweeping changes that will affect Landlords and Tenants alike; with the emphasis on providing a greater degree of protection for Tenants.  

The principal changes, amongst other matters, include the abolition of the s21 ‘No Fault’ eviction, compliance with Decent Home Standard, prevention of discrimination, an end to bidding wars over listed rents, and the introduction of both a Landlords Register and a Landlords Ombudsman to handle tenant’s disputes.

With the abolition of the s21 no fault eviction the Act has made changes to the existing grounds for possession contained in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, and accordingly Landlords seeking to recover possession of privately rented accommodation will be required to satisfy a court, following the provision of relevant written notice, that one or more of the existing, amended and new grounds for possession are satisfied.  

The changes will invariably result in additional court time being allocated to residential possession claims, and the unwary Landlord may fail to correctly comply with their obligations at the commencement of a tenancy, or when seeking to recover possession; particularly as allowance has been made for the form of notice to be published by the Secretary of State.

Chapter 3 of the Act also introduces rules preventing Landlords from discriminating against Tenants, or applying discriminatory terms.  In particular the Act provides for the prevention of discrimination in relation to children or based upon a tenants benefit status. Where the anti-discrimination provisions are breached local housing authorities may impose financial penalties on persons responsible for the breach.  Whilst local housing authorities are permitted to determine the level of the penalty; such penalty could be up to (but must not exceed) £7,000.

Whilst implementation of the Act will be ongoing over the coming months Landlords need to take action now to ensure they understand their right and responsibilities under the Act.

We support Landlords and Tenants in relation to their rights and obligations when renting property and to manage conflict and guide individuals through the dispute process.