On 1 May Section 21 evictions will be abolished, after years of promises and delays.
This means landlords have six months to prepare for the new regulations, which will also see the widespread introduction of periodic tenancies, new rules granting tenants the right to keep a pet, and the end of tenant bidding wars for properties.
Under the bill, landlords will face higher fines with civil penalties for non-compliance, starting at £7,000 and rising to a maximum civil penalty of up to £40,000.
Law firms
Scott Goldstein, property disputes partner from law firm Payne Hicks Beach, said: “There is a lot of work to do before the first raft of reforms is introduced in May. The government says it will produce information sheets notifying tenants of their new rights. Landlords and managing agents will have to give their tenants these information sheets by no later than 1st April.
“These regulations will apply to oral tenancies as well as written ones, representing a trap for the unwary.
“Penalties for non-compliance include a fine of up to £7,000, and possibly criminal liability. It is critical that landlords and agents are up to speed with these changes.”
Farriah Shams, associate at Hunters Law LLP, said: “The move to abolish the right of landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason (via Section 21 notices) is a significant step towards giving renters greater housing security, and many renters have welcomed an end to Section 21 evictions.
“However, the reform is also controversial as the new rules could reduce rental supply or increase costs for renters. Many landlords might exit the market and sell their properties because they may feel they have less control over removing problematic tenants, so fewer rental properties available means lower supply. Also, some landlords might raise rents sharply to encourage tenants to move out voluntarily, avoiding the formal eviction process altogether.
“Overall, while the ban aims to create a fairer and more stable rental market, its success will depend on balancing tenant protections with landlords’ confidence to continue offering homes for rent.”
Trade body
Kate Butler, assistant director, real estate, British Property Federation, said: “The Implementation Roadmap provides a welcome degree of much-needed clarity for the sector on these once-in-a-generation reforms to private renting, and we are pleased to see government heed our calls for at least a six-month period to prepare.
“We have long advocated stronger tenant protections and greater professionalisation for private rented homes. The Build to Rent sector, in particular, is already ahead of the curve on many of the Act’s reforms, demonstrating best practice in property management.
“However, significant uncertainties still remain that could impede the sector’s ability to operate effectively and deter investment into new homes. It is essential that the government publish the details of the forthcoming secondary legislation well in advance of their implementation to give the sector time to prepare.
“We continue to highlight the critical need for digitisation and resourcing of the courts, a clear process for monitoring for ‘overwhelm’ of the Tribunal, and establishing a filtering body to manage vexatious section 13 rent increase appeals. Without this, the courts could clog up, creating uncertainty for tenants and driving away investment into building more homes.”
Software company
Tom Goodman, managing director, Goodlord Group, said: “Landlords or letting agents shouldn’t have been surprised or panicked by this announcement that the Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1st May. It was always likely that these sweeping reforms would be implemented within six months of the Act passing.
“And vast swathes of the industry have been working hard for months to update systems and processes so they are ready – I’ve been really impressed about how proactive many agents have been.
“But the response hasn’t been universal. For those who are yet to get their house in order, time is of the essence. There is no longer any ambiguity on timelines: the clock is ticking and there is less than 6 months to go to get Renters’ Rights ready.”
HMO marketplace
Vann Vogstad, founder & CEO of COHO, a marketplace for tenants, property managers, and HMO landlords, said: “The Renters’ Rights Act is, in principle, a good thing. Tenants deserve stronger rights, and most landlords would agree. But once again, HMOs and the two million people who rely on them have been largely overlooked.”
“Landlords with more experience in the industry are often the quickest to react, some will likely decide it’s time to exit altogether.”
“In the short term, we may see a wave of evictions as landlords seek to remove less suitable tenants before the deadline, leading to a temporary increase in available stock and a slight easing of rents.”
“Many tenants may welcome these new rules at first, and in theory they sound fair. But when something goes wrong they’ll understand why HMO landlords have been fighting so hard to have a voice.”
“Nothing has been done to improve Section 8 when tenants feel unsafe, with shared living once again been overlooked. The result is a policy that gives new rights to one tenant while effectively taking away others’ right to feel safe in their own home.”
“The biggest shift may come from outside the HMO sector. The Renters’ Rights Act will make single lets far less appealing, pushing more landlords towards shared living.”
HMOs and cohesive shared living
“The conversation has too often been framed as landlords versus tenants, but in shared living, their priorities are almost identical, both care most of all about creating a cohesive home.
“Our own data, on over 6,000 tenants in house shares, found that 59% said a bad housemate would make them want to leave sooner, and 40% said better matching of tenants based on lifestyle/interest would make shared living more appealing.
“Many tenants may welcome these new rules at first and in theory they sound fair. But when something goes wrong and they see that landlords have lost one of the few tools that could protect them and preserve harmony in the house, they’ll understand why HMO landlords have been fighting so hard to have a voice.
“In shared living, Section 21 has often been the only realistic way to protect housemates from someone threatening or harassing others. It’s called a ‘no-fault’ eviction, but in reality, it’s how landlords discreetly and quickly remove people who make others feel unsafe.
“Without it, managers are left relying on Section 8 – a drawn-out legal route that can take six months or more and forces victims to prove their case while still living under the same roof as the person they fear. Nothing has been done to improve Section 8 for these situations, and shared living has once again been overlooked. The result is a policy that gives new rights to one tenant while effectively taking away others’ right to feel safe in their own home.”
Student housing
“In student houses, when someone dropped out, it was on the group to find a replacement – usually a friend who fit in. It kept control in the hands of the people who knew each other best.
“Now, if one leaves, the whole tenancy ends and the landlord has to fill the gap mid-year with whoever will take it. Students lose choice, landlords lose stability, and homes risk turning into houses of strangers. It’s another example of how tenant law keeps overlooking shared living – and the very people it matters most to.”
Ombudsman
Lesley Horton, chief ombudsman at The Property Ombudsman, said: “We’re really pleased to see that the roadmap has been published, giving much needed clarity on when the key provisions will come into effect.
“Our Consumer and Industry Forum this week brought together consumer and industry stakeholders into one room where we had open and collaborative discussions on the Act and how to make it work for letting agents, landlords and tenants. Time to prepare is critical and now with this roadmap, all parties can really move forward with their preparations.
“We’re committed to supporting letting agents, landlords and tenants and will be releasing guidance in due course to help with this preparation. We’re also looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Ministry, particularly on the introduction of the Ombudsman which will come in phase two of the roadmap.”
Estate and letting agents
Greg Tsuman, managing director for Lettings at Martyn Gerrard Estate Agents, said: “A May implementation is the expected outcome and provides six months to prepare for the changes and coincides with the new tax year.
“Everyone’s been aware that this is coming, so this should give sufficient notice to the market. However, it does also leave room for a potential burst of landlords selling up in anticipation of the laws or serving S21 eviction notices ahead of time, which could destabilise tenants before the protections come into force.
“The key thing now is to ensure the measures in the Budget don’t sour market confidence any further. What is not clear is whether this implementation date is a coincidence, or if the government is hoping for landlords to sell before then, due to the desperate state of the public finances.
“Landlords selling up will provide a large capital injection in the short-term, but I hope they’re accounting for the longer-term costs. Fewer properties to let means higher rents and more vulnerable people turning to government support as they face the prospect of homelessness. The wider impacts to the social housing bill will almost certainly outweigh any short-term windfall for the public purse.
“It may also be that Labour has an ideological dislike of landlords. If that’s the case, then there is a particular strangeness in their recent policy direction. Rumoured measures such as adding NI contributions to rental income disproportionately hit individual private landlords, who are overwhelmingly working professionals and often investing to secure their pension. Meanwhile, the large corporates are expected to be mostly unaffected. The government is pushing ordinary people out of property investment in favour of big capital.”
David Adams, managing director of estate and letting agent Cavendish, as well as the author of The Landlord’s Playbook, said: “The announcement that the implementation of the act will start on May 1st 2026 should focus the minds of landlords, giving them a six-month window to ensure they are fully up-to-speed and compliant with the sweeping changes that are coming to the landlord and tenant sector.
“The act is the biggest change to the sector for a generation and landlords who are not fully prepared run the risk of severe reputational damage and financial penalties.
“The six-month window will go by in a flash, so our advice is that landlords must act quickly if they want to protect and grow their rental portfolios.”
Agent accreditation scheme
Isobel Thomson, chief executive of safeagent, said: “We are glad that the government has confirmed the implementation date of 1 May 2026 for Phase 1 of the measures contained in the Renters’ Rights Act.
“It provides certainty for all, which is what is needed if the pivotal changes the Act brings are to be introduced seamlessly, maintaining the stability of the sector.
“Professional agents play a key role in this process, supporting landlords and tenants. Safeagent will continue to support its agents with the resources they need.”